Farmers Review Africa May-June 2022 by Mailing Times Media

Volume 10. Issue 3 May/June 2022

Grain Production in an Environment of a Myriad Challenges

In this issue... Cultivating Innovation Pg 20

Impact of Ukraine War on Farmers Pg 27

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TOMRA potato sorting machines Pg 40

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FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA | Volume 10. Issue 2 Mar/Apr 2022A

Volume 10. Issue 3 May/June 2022

CONTENTS

Volume 10. Issue 3. May/June 2022

Editor’s Note

News Heifer unveils Digital Agriculture Champions Initiative in Africa

Grain Production in an Environment of a Myriad Challenges

he large-scale introduction of agricultural coops in the 1970s and 1980s, with compulsory membership,

In this issue... Cultivating Innovation Pg 20

Impact of Ukraine War on Farmers Pg 27

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TOMRA potato sorting machines Pg 40

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Cover Image: Grain Production in an Environment of a Myriad Challenges

Executive Editor Anthony Kiganda editor@farmersreviewafrica.com Sub Editor Anita Anyango Contributing Writers Lawrence Paganga Zimbabwe Nqobile Bhebhe Zimbabwe Oscar Nkala Botswana Bertha M South Africa Jane Marsh Environment.co Project Manager Victor Ndlovu sales@farmersreviewafrica.com Art Director & Layout Augustine Ombwa austin@arobia.co.ke Correspondents Isabel Banda zambia@farmersreviewafrica.com Sales & Marketing Gladmore. N gladmoren@farmersreviewafrica.com Mandla M. mandlam@farmersreviewafrica.com Kholwani. D kholwanid@farmersreviewafrica.com Polite Mkhize politem@farmersreviewafrica.com leslien@farmersreviewafrica.com East African Liaison Arobia Creative Consultancy Tel: +254 772 187334, arobia@farmersreviewafrica.com Published by : Mailing Times Media +27 11 044 8986 sales@farmersreviewafrica.com

African farmers should embrace cooperatives

Farmers worry as Namibia battles the fourth and worst wave of brown locust outbreak

was associated with declining agricultural output per capita. In Ethiopia, when farmers were allowed to join or leave cooperatives at will in 1991, cooperative membership fell drastically and yields rose.8 Certainly, there

REPORT

have been cooperative success stories in the region for instance the dairy sector in

28 years on, urgency in postsettlement support in land restitution is necessary, says NGO in land reform

Kenya, coffee in Ethiopia, and cotton in Mali,

for example. The examples of Taiwan, India, and Vietnam also show that cooperatives can be instrumental in sector transformation. Unfortunately, to date, no African country has achieved a sustained and large scale

FEATURE

increase in staple crop yields as a result of cooperative action and many cooperative

The application of compost shows agricultural and environmental benefits in the bacterial community

development programs have failed to achieve their objectives or have even been counterproductive. The purpose of agricultural cooperatives is to help farmers increase their yields

Africa must prepare for the inevitability of a global food crisis says AfDB President

and incomes by pooling their resources

to support collective service provisions and economic empowerment. Given their primary remit to contribute to smallholder farmer production, agricultural cooperatives are seen as critical in achieving the

BMG to participate at Nampo 2022

government’s development targets in the Growth and Transformation Plan.

Anthony Kiganda

editor@farmersreviewafrica.com New Developments in Bobcat Dealer Network in Africa

UFS wheat rust specialist contributes to paper in Nature Genetics

Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the contents of its publications, but no warranty is made as to such accuracy and no responsibility will be borne by the publisher for the consequences of actions based on information so published. Further, opinions expr essed are not necessarily shared by Mailing Times Media (Pty) Ltd

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NEWS

FAO calls for Import Financing Facility for poorer nations

phosphorous fertilizer. Energy prices have also been rising, mostly due to market conditions. “With the COVID-19 pandemic already squeezing budgets, the conflict in eastern Europe has pushed FAO’s Food Price Index to an all-time high, hitting the vulnerable the most. Higher fertilizer prices, meanwhile, are putting future harvests at risk globally.” According to FAO simulations, the conflict could result in as many as 13.1 million more people going hungry between 2022 and 2026, compared to the baseline.

he Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has called for a global Food Import Financing Facility (FIFF) to help poorer countries deal with surging food prices worsened by war in Ukraine. The body, through its Director-General QU Dongyu, made the call while addressing finance ministers and central bank governors in Washington. The FIFF, which is also aimed at increasing global agricultural production and productivity in

a sustainable way, is one of six policy proposals put together by FAO in response to the crisis. The UN’ body in a statement stated, “Russia and Ukraine are important players in the global food market, with almost 50 countries dependent on them for at least 30 per cent of their wheat import needs. Russia is also a key exporter of fertilizers. In 2020, it ranked as the top exporter of nitrogen fertilizers, the second leading supplier of potassium, and the third largest exporter of

“The war can have multiple implications for global markets and food security. The FIFF, which would complement existing mechanisms within the UN system, would be strictly based on urgent needs and limited to low and lower middle-income net food-importing countries. In addition, it is designed to increase future resilience by asking eligible countries to commit to invest more in sustainable agrifood systems,” said the FAO Director-General. Qu said the FIFF has been stress-tested by FAO for its impact on the global markets and would be convenient to administrate and scale up. “The lesson learned is that we need to increase agricultural production and productivity in the world while being sustainable. It is high time to work together for ending hunger and malnutrition in the world, “he said.

Livestock farmers in Kenya to benefit from Sh 100m financing

ivestock farmers living in Kenya’s Arid and Semi-arid lands are set to benefit from a Sh 100m financing from KCB Foundation to aid in curtailing the drought situation in the country. The financing which is also in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development will see farmers receive training that will equip them with climate-smart agricultural practices to mitigate the dire impacts of climate change.

Speaking during the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing, KCB Head of Foundation Caroline Wanjeri said the training of KCB staff on livestock financing will enable the bank to identify better ways to support smallholder farmers, who would otherwise be considered high risk. “By working through farmer producer organizations, we are able to reach more farmers, improve their commercial practices, enhance access to credit and bring in value-addition,” she added.

Under the two-year partnership, at least 50 livestock cooperatives and farmers’ groups will receive technical support to increase their productivity. The first year of the partnership will see KCB train bank staff on livestock financing which is expected to grow to Shs 500 million.

On her part, Kenya Investment Mechanism’s Deputy Chief of Party Dr. Grace Mwai noted that the collaboration established with the Foundation will go a long way in unlocking financing for the livestock sector in the meat, milk, honey, and fish value chains.”

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“We work through strategic partnerships with local partners such as the KCB Foundation to enhance our private capital mobilization efforts for the agricultural sector.” Kenya Investment Mechanism is a five-year USAID project aimed at unlocking private finance and investment for key sectors of Kenya’s economy, including agriculture.

NEWS

South African chicken prices set to soar

hicken prices in South Africa is set to increase following inflation, rising costs, supply chain disruptions and global economy risk to food security. The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) said it was monitoring prices through the Poultry Masterplan, but food price inflation was currently a global problem. “We have noted domestically, high feed costs and Avian Influenza outbreaks which are currently rampant within the EU. Poultry continues to be under pressure both domestically and globally. Through the Poultry Masterplan process, National Agricultural Marketing Council continues to monitor the chicken prices including the rise that can be attributed to several factors ranging from input costs.

The DTIC, Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development and Industrial Development Corporation have established R1billion fund to support local businesses and farmers, amongst other new expansions in poultry farming and processing.

Association chief executive Paul Matthew said South Africa’s trade partners accounted for 14.9% of all chicken consumed in the country, and the (import) sector was critical in maintaining a healthy balance between availability and affordability.

The industry has also invested R1.14 bn and slaughtering capacity increased to 22.5 million birds per week. Food price inflation is currently a global problem,” DTIC spokesperson, Bongani Lukhele said.

“The competition provided by a small import market has a material impact on keeping the price of chicken in check for consumers. South Africa is currently only producing around 80% of the country’s overall poultry demand, and is specifically unable to meet demand in certain cuts, such as chicken wings and leg quarters.

To mitigate this inflation, South African Association of Meat Importers and Exporters (AMIE) has called for the removal of trade tariffs on all poultry products, a three-year moratorium on any new tariffs, and supports the removal of VAT on the price of chicken.

Consequently, imports, even at such a low level, are essential and become even more critical when South Africa experiences frequent outbreaks of disease,” said Matthew.

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NEWS

Heifer unveils Digital Agriculture Champions Initiative in Africa

Agriculture, delivering solutions that address challenges faced by smallholder farmers at scale, ”said Adesuwa Ifedi, Senior Vice President Africa Programs, Heifer.

eifer International, a nonprofit organization on a mission to end global hunger and poverty, has unveiled her Digital Agriculture Champions (DAC) initiative. The initiative, will leverage exponential digital technologies as a key component in the design of signature programs covering 11 countries of Heifer’s operations in Africa. The effort will deliver sustainable, costeffective training modules for smallholder farmers across Heifer Africa, starting with Kenya.

“The idea for the AYuTe Africa Challenge (AYuTe stands for Agriculture, Youth and Technology) was conceived by Heifer based on four decades of work as a trusted partner of African farmers— and seeing first-hand the stark difference between local farms that have access to new technologies and those that do not;” she added. Kuza’s founder Sriram Bharatam explains: “We are a strong believer in the fact that one plus one is 11. When you bring tools to partners together with a common, shared vision and values, you can create magic.”

“Heifer is advancing technology and mechanization to address some of the post-pandemic challenges across different Agricultural value chains in Africa; investing in digital extension systems for training as a postpandemic response strategy that will create efficient, scalable solutions for farmers and help boost the value chains in which they work. “Heifer is also committed to mentoring the youth who often constitute the extension staff, and is

focused on empowering them to become digital champions with entrepreneurship skills to ensure quality services for farmers, and sustainable business models beyond the life of Heifer project interventions. “Heifer is committed to catalyzing ground-up engagement of the youth in Agriculture. The Digital Agriculture Champions initiative will foster the application of digital technology in

“The Digital Agriculture Champions will capitalize on the network effectby first running programs that incubate young entrepreneurs, who then each engage approximately 200 households in rural communities, giving them the knowledge, tools, and networks needed to transform how they do business in a sustainable way, especially in agriculture.” he added.

Machakos, Kenya to revive Agricultural Exhibition

“We have requested the Ministry of Health who have allowed us to have this year’s event with its Covid-19 guidelines and protocol adhered to minimize the spread of the virus amongst those in attendance. Up to now we have 48 Exhibitors who have confirmed with our office that they will be part of us this year and still expecting more within the one month remaining, compared to 2019 where only 32 Exhibitors showed up for participation,” said Nzau.

achakos County in Kenya is set to revive Agricultural Exhibition after Covid Disruption. The Machakos Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show, is now slated to take place from June 22 to 25, 2022 with more exhibitors coming to register in preparation for the mega event. This year’s theme is ‘Promoting Innovation in Agriculture and Trade’. Branch Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Patram Muthoka pointed out that new technologies and modernized Agricultural systems will be unveiled during this year’s Agricultural Show. “We have farmers who are coming with new technologies, new certified seeds, others with fruit seeds. We will have them on the ground during this exhibition and also some with new water harvesting techniques,” said Muthoka. Muthoka said that as a society they have developed an elaborate land use masterplan which is to come up with large convention centers in some counties inclusive of Machakos to leverage income from the shows. “We draw much of our income from the shows and one of the things that we picked as ASK from the suspension of shows, we developed a very elaborate land use Masterplan and already in Jamhuri park we are ready with a very huge convention centre larger

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The chairman assured the public of their safety as they intended to attend the event. “We have consulted the security department as we have always done and they are ready to stand by us, we shall have a peaceful show and there will be no harm at all,” noted Nzau. than KICC, we have also developed a master plan for other counties,” Muthoka noted. The Branch ASK Chairman, Mr. John Nzau reiterated that all the preparations are in line with the Ministry of Health Covid-19 guidelines. He noted that 48 exhibitors have so far shown interest in participating in the show, commenting that it is a good number compared to 2019 where only 32 Exhibitors had confirmed by this time.

Nzau further acknowledged the Ministry of Education for accepting to be part of the event by allowing all schools to come and learn new innovations from the show. “We have requested the Ministry of Education and they have authorized us to invite all the schools because they could not have come for the last two years due to the pandemic that hit the country so hard,” added Nzau.

NEWS

Producer prices of grains in Zimbabwe to go up

roducer prices of maize, soya bean, traditional grains and sunflower in Zimbabwe are set to go up. Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa, said Cabinet approved the producer prices after a presentation from Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Minister Dr Anxious Masuka. According to him, farmers will make a profit of at least 15% and so ensure that they are viable and will push productivity. The prices and profits promote sustainable growth as Government takes significant steps to boost agricultural productivity and ensure food self-sufficiency by making it clear that farmers can make a living. The new floor producer prices for maize and traditional grains have been set at $75 000 per tonne, up from $58 553 for maize and $70 263,90 for traditional grains set earlier. For soya beans, the floor producer price has been set at $171 495, up from $125 530,17, while the price for sunflower is now $205 794,52 a tonne, up from $150 686,20. “Cabinet noted that in order to maintain farmer viability and profitability, there is need to review the prices for maize, traditional grains, soyabean and sunflower so that they are in sync with

existing economic realities. A good price that promotes sustainable growth of a particular value chain is that which allows the farmer to realise at least a 15% profit margin,” said Dr Anxious. Explaining the reasons for reviewing the producer prices, Minister Masuka said Government had taken note of the change in economic fundamentals particularly in respect of increases in fertiliser prices due to geo-political developments which have seen global fertiliser prices rise. “The Covid-19 pandemic, climate change, as well as geo-political conflicts, have disrupted global supply chains for grain and agricultural inputs, with the resultant price escalations highlighting the need to intensify local production,” she said. Cabinet noted that the main objective of the next summer programme was to sustainably increase crop and livestock production through implementation of critical strategies such as ensuring that crop and livestock production conformed to appropriate agro-ecological regions, acceleration of the climate proofing Pfumvudza/Intwasa programme through training plus the inclusion of agro-chemicals and water retention enhancers in input packages, and timely provision of fertilisers, seed and tillage services.

Cyclone Gombe leaves 15 dead, crops damaged in Mozambique’s Nampula province

s part of a regional project to conserve biodiversity and make use of crop genetic resources, Seychelles is carrying out a survey on its three main islands to quantify the number of breadfruit trees in the country. Dubbed “Germination,” the project is geared towards improving food security in countries of the Indian Ocean, namely Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, and Tanzania. The country is Seychelles is putting emphasis on breadfruit as it is an undervalued source of carbohydrate that grows in abundance in the country. “Being a country that imports a lot of the food that we consume, we are quite vulnerable to external shocks as past events have shown us. Should a situation arise where importation of food into the country cannot be maintained, breadfruit is something we can fall back on,” said the principal agricultural scientist at the Anse Boileau Research Centre, Roy Govinden. After completing an inventory on La Digue,

“There is a large population of breadfruit in the country but many are not accessible. The trees that we are seeing are quite high and not manageable and as such fruits cannot be harvested,” said Govinden. Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, also seeks to establish the different varieties of breadfruits to make better use of the fruit based on what they are best suited for.

the Seychelles Agricultural Agency (SAA) established a population of 311 breadfruit trees on the third most populated island of the island nation. Some areas on the main island of Mahe and the second most populated island of Praslin remain to be covered. The districts found with the largest number of trees are Anse Aux Pins, Anse Royale and Baie Lazare.

“At the moment, we have been able to identify two or three varieties - there are breadfruits that are rounder and some tend to be longer, and the colour of the inside of the flesh varies, one is whiter while another has a yellow tint to it. When we get to the categorising stage, we will be better able to identify them,” shared Govinden. Once the census is completed the agency will redirect its efforts towards educating the population on how to properly trim and manage their breadfruit trees to ensure that fruits can be collected in higher yields.

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NEWS

Another storm Jasmine to hit Madagascar, Mozambique

nother tropical storm – Jasmine has hit Madagascar and Mozambique on Tuesday evening killing one person in Madagascar while three others are missing. The two countries, and other countries in the SADC region have been hit by five cyclones in 2022 damaging crops, infrastructure, leaving thousands dead, and millions displaced from their homes. According to the World Weather Attribution network, between January and March, three tropical cyclones and two tropical storms hit the southern Africa region. According to the European Commission’s Directorate General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO), after making landfall close to Toliara City (AtsimoAndrefana Region, south-west Madagascar), tropical depression Jasmine was moving eastwards over southern Madagascar. “On 27 April at 4.00 UTC, its centre was located inland, about 30 km north of Tsivory Commune (Anosy Region, southern Madagascar), with maximum sustained winds of 53 km/h. Rainfall, strong winds and high waves have been affecting south-eastern Madagascar. According to the media, one person died and three others went

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missing near Toliara, while a number of houses and roads sustained damage,” ECHO said.

million to support Madagascar in its postcyclones recovery strategy.

“Jasmine is forecast to reach the southern Indian Ocean as a Tropical Storm on the morning of 27 April, and further dissipate on 28 April. An operational centre has been established in Tulear on 26 April ahead of the landing. All sectors have been mobilized, a rapid assessment mission has been organised and a mapping of prepositioned stocks shared with the various stakeholders present in the area.”

“A National Recovery Plan was established after the passage of cyclones. We were thus able to discuss this subject of major importance during a meeting with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund,” the country’s President Andry Rajoelina said on Tuesday.

Madagascar confirmed that Jasmine had intensified into a severe tropical storm. “Its centre was positioned about 363km westnorthwest of Morombe and could make landfall on Atsimo Andrefana on Tuesday evening,” the Madagascar’s Natural Disaster Management Agency said. Meanwhile, Mozambique has warned the tropical storm could hit the south of Nampula province and the north of Inhambane this week. According to the National Institute of Meteorology (INAM), Jasmine could be characterised by strong winds of up to 100km per hour and gusts of 120km that could generate waves of nine metres. Last week, the World Bank disbursed $US415

His comments came after the president’s delegation held a meeting with World Bank head David Malpass along with IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in Washington, the US. He added the money would be used mainly to rebuild roads, revive agriculture, and improve access to electricity and water. Two weeks ago, the African Development Bank (AfDB) said it would disburse $US46 million to support communities affected by cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique. The two are the worst natural disasters recorded in Mozambique in the last two decades. The AfDB said the money would support 40 000 families that rely on agriculture until 2023.

NEWS

SA needs R91m to help KZN farmers affected by floods

outh Africa required R91 million to assist farmers in KwaZulu-Natal who were affected by the recent floods that extensively damaged crops, infrastructure, including bridges. According to the SA Farmers Development Association (SAFDA) preliminary report, farmers lost crops, livestock; soil swept away, farmhouses and workers’ accommodation. The association said R49m would be required for replanting crops and R42m for repairing infrastructure. “This report shows a number of growers affected as information keeps coming all day and every day,” SAFDA said. It added most farmers had experienced waterlogging, which affected the crops and the leaching of inputs such

as fertiliser and chemicals while some growers lost their entire yields due soil erosion, and they would have to replant. “To date we have recorded 1 537.4 hectares (ha) of cane and cash crops having been eroded. At an estimated cost of R32 000 to replant per hectare, this totals R49 196 800 as we have confirmed that almost all affected fields need to be replanted,” SAFDA said. It said the most affected were small-scale farmers who depended on crops for cash and consumption. “This means such farmers lost not only their business but their household food source.”

“This poses a serious threat which will last beyond the rain season. When the rain is over mills will open and farmers will be expected to deliver their cane produce for crushing. This will not be possible before the collapsed farm bridges and roads are repaired.” “The intervention required in this, and other similar instances is to assist with rebuilding farmhouses and farm workers’ quarters.” Farmers in irrigated areas have also experienced severe damage to irrigation such as pipes and pumps. “To confirm the extent of the damage the services of engineers and technicians will be required.”

Cameroon, FAO sign five-year agreement to improve food security, nutrition

he Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) on Friday signed a Country Programming Framework (CPF) with Cameroon, which will help improve agriculture, food security, nutrition and natural resources management in the Central African nation over the next five years. The signing event was held in the capital Yaounde between the FAO Country Representative Athman Mravili and Cameroon’s Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Gabriel Mbairobe. “This document has four main axis. The first is to ameliorate condition of production in order to create wealth in our country, the second action is to fight against climate change, the third action is to strengthen the policy of governance of public

CPF will be implemented by the government of Cameroon and FAO with support from the wider spectrum of stakeholders within the private sector, semi government institutions and civil society. Agriculture is the mainstay of Cameroon’s economy and a major source of employment for more than 70% of the population. affairs in our country and the last action is to strengthen the Sustainable Development Goals that aim to eradicate poverty and fight against hunger in our country,” Mbairobe told reporters after the CPF which will run from 2022 to 2026 was signed.

However, the sector has been impacted by the incidence of weather-induced crop failures, pests and diseases and limited access by especially smallholder farmers to financing instruments and technology, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

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NEWS

Feed manufacturers in Kenya seek importation of yellow maize In February this year, AKEFEMA had also petitioned the Agriculture CS to modify the Gazette Notice to order to conform to previous Notices allowing for 99.1 percent non-GMO importation of raw materials as per EU standards. “This modification would automatically allow the millers to source the raw material which are readily available in the global market. In March 2022, the Working Committee convened and approved the proposal as an immediate measure to mitigate the dwindling source of raw materials. Unfortunately, as at Thursday 14th April 2022, the Notice has not been published and neither measure (s) have been undertaken to resolve the crisis in the livestock feed sub-sector almost a year since we raised the red flag,” the SG said. Kinoti urged the government to look at the feed industry and review taxation regime, provide subsidy for at least six months until the prices stabilize and the drought ceases. Kiambu County Poultry Farmers Coop Society (KCPFCS) Zachary Munyambu said the country is currently engulfed in a grave economic crisis as egg producers and breeders of day-old chicks have started closing businesses.

takeholders in the animal feed industry in Kenya are calling upon the government to allow them to import yellow maize in order to lower and sustain the price of feeds. Association of Kenya Feed Manufacturers (AKEFEMA), amongst those that made the call, said farmers continue to record low productivity because of the prevailing drought and the high cost of compounded feed. “We request the government to publish the Gazette notice to allow duty free importation of raw materials as per the EU standards,” Martin Kinoti, Secretary General of AKIFEMA said. Speaking when giving the current status of the animal feed sector in Kenya, Kinoti explained that the price of animal feeds has increased to Sh400 from Sh300 per 70 kg bag in the last two weeks. This has mainly been driven by the rising cost of maize which is a main raw material for feeds production with a bag of 90kg bag of maize now selling at Sh4,200 from less than Sh3000 at the same period last year.

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“We are calling upon the Ministry of Agriculture to allow feed millers to buy maize being held at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) as Strategic Food Reserve at a subsidize rates in order to cushion farmers,” he said. “We are also asking the government to also extend the importation period that had been set for one year through a gazette notice to three years by taking into account that the supply and demand disruptions caused by war in Ukraine and Russia who contribute nearly 30 percent of the grain traded globally are likely to last much longer,” he added. On 10th December, 2021, the CS National Treasury published a Notice waiving import duty for gazette companies to import raw materials for exclusive use by feed manufacturers. However, the Gazette notice strictly imposed a 100% nonGMO importation of raw materials unlike previous waivers that provided for the application of EU standards at 99.1 percent non GMO Standards.

“In Kiambu and Murang’a counties, poultry farmers have abandoned poultry farming and instead ventured into other economic activities citing unbearable cost of commercial feeds and still the new ventures are not rosy as effects of Covid-19 continue hammering the country’s economy,” he said. Munyambu said that of the 700 farmer members of KCPFCS drawn from counties of Kiambu and Murang’a, 60 per cent of them have stopped poultry farming citing high cost of feed. “Some farmers with as much as 10,000 birds’ population have stopped bird farming thus compounding their economic situation which might breed to other miseries such as insecurity and grinding poverty,” he noted. The livestock sector in the country contributes about 15 percent of the GDP and employs 50 percent of the agriculture labour force. AKIFEMA says that if the current situation deteriorates, more animal feed millers and livestock farmers will continue to close business and as a result three of the Big Four Agendas objectives will be at sake including Food Security, manufacturing and health care.

NEWS

FAO Director-General on high-level meeting with senior SA government, agriculture officials

he Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General Qu Dongyu has highlighted the role of innovation and partnerships in achieving the Four Betters, on his first visit to South Africa as head of the United Nations (UN) agency. The Director-General started the mission on 19 April by meeting Francis Moloi, the Chief Director at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa (DIRCO). The two discussed deepening the partnership between FAO and South Africa for agri-food systems transformation. He later met the Agriculture Minister Angela Thoko Didiza and he began the meeting by giving his condolences for the lives lost in recent flooding in KwaZuluNatal, South Africa. According to a press release issued by FAO on Friday, the two also discussed the role of innovation in advancing agri-food systems transformation in South Africa, and the country’s leading role in advancing transformation across the southern Africa sub-region through the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The Director-General also shared with the Minister the One Country One Priority Product (OCOP) initiative, and discussed the opportunities it can provide to the country. “They also discussed exploring opportunities for furthering the collaboration between FAO and South Africa, and amplifying the partnership to achieve the Four Betters as set out in the FAO Strategic Framework 2022-31: better production, better nutrition, a better environment, and a better

“He toured the facilities and met scientists and academics from a range of institutions and discussed possible areas of collaboration in economics, statistics, data, research development, and innovation for efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agri-food systems. Research institutions and academia are key in providing science and evidence based innovative solutions that can help develop capacity and knowledge of smallholder farmers in South Africa and beyond,” FAO said

life for all, leaving no one behind,” FAO said. During the meeting, Didiza emphasised South Africa’s strong innovation ecosystem and the importance of digitalisation in agriculture, including precision farming, GIS-based applications and mobile-based systems. “They also discussed FAO’s 1000 Digital Villages initiative and the potential for collaboration to provide digital services to farming communities.” On the same day, the FAO Director-General visited laboratories at the Vegetable, Industrial and Medicinal Plant (VIMP) Institute at the Agricultural Research Council, which is a leading scientific research institution in South Africa.

Strengthened collaboration between FAO and the private sector is instrumental to accelerating sustainable agri-food systems transformation. He also met Director-General of the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries of South Africa, Nomfundo Tshabalala. The two discussed how to strengthen cooperation between FAO and the department in the areas of environmental management, conservation and protection. On Wednesday, the Director-General met representatives of private sector organizations in South Africa, including the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (AgriBiz), the potato industry (Potato SA), and the South African Avocado Growers Association (SAAGA). “The group discussed strategic partnerships for agrifood systems transformation. Strengthened collaboration between FAO and the private sector is instrumental to accelerating sustainable agrifood systems transformation,” FAO Added.

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NEWS

Genetic breakthrough may control Africa’s East Coast fever, which kills over a million cattle per year “She saw that the three ones that survived all had the same sire. We thought, is that just a fluke? Or is this something that’s really worth following up? It turned out to be a very serendipitous observation,” Toye added

n unexpected discovery has led researchers from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) in Kenya and the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland to identify a genetic marker. This will accurately predicts whether an individual cow is likely to survive infection with East Coast fever—making possible breeding programs that could improve the livelihoods of millions of smallholder farmers. According to the ILRI, the severe cattle disease, East Coast fever is caused by a Theileria parva a parasite and transmitted by ticks, causing a kind of leukemia. It said it kills a million animals a year in the 13 African countries where it is endemic— that is one cow every 30 seconds. Those losses cost an estimated US$300 million annually, and can devastate the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. “If the cattle are susceptible, without treatment you can lose 100% of your herd in two or three weeks,” says ILRI’s Phil Toye. “Because it doesn’t affect wealthy countries,

there has historically been limited funding for research into the disease.” A vaccine for East Coast fever exists and usually gives cattle lifelong immunity. However, ILRI says manufacturing it is time-consuming, and it costs 10 to 20 times more than other common livestock vaccines. “The other option is regularly dipping animals in acaricides—pesticides that kill ticks—but this is also labor-intensive, polluting, and in some places farmers have to dip their cows more than once a week. We’re struggling to control this disease,” Toye says. In 2013, an ILRI-Roslin team conducted an experiment at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya to test how well the vaccine worked when indigenous cattle grazed near buffalo, which also carry a form of East Coast fever. Out of twelve vaccinated animals, nine of them died from the disease. Nine of the twelve unvaccinated control animals died too. Tatjana Sitt, a post-doctoral scientist working on the project, just happened to check their pedigree.

Now, in a new paper published by Roslin’s David Wragg, ILRI’s Annie Cook and other team members has analysed the DNA from this one hardy bovine family in the context of clinical data from the field studies and located a genetic marker that signals tolerance for East Coast fever. “For breeding, it doesn’t actually matter. You just need a way of saying, ‘This animal is a good one to breed from, because its offspring are likely to survive the disease.” Wragg said. Further research is needed to pin down the exact gene (or genes) responsible and their mechanism of action will potentially enable scientists to edit the DNA of cattle to make them disease tolerant. “More research is also needed to ensure there are no unintended side-effects associated with tolerance to the disease—for example, in humans, tolerance to malaria is associated with sickle-cell anemia, which causes other health problems. In addition, finding out more about the genetic mechanism could also help to advance leukemia research in humans, Toye says. “If this genetic trait really is as effective as we think it is, and we can get animals out there expressing it, and there’s no major downside to it— it will provide a sustainable and cost-effective way to combat this major disease,” he added.

As Food Prices Rise, Fortified Porridge Saves Lives

program in Burkina Faso could provide insights into low-cost methods to help developing countries protect citizens from the effects of food price increases. The key ingredients: Community-based volunteers and simple porridge. Volunteers from rural villages are trained in basic health, nutrition and hygiene techniques. Because families know them, families trust them. Volunteers are readily allowed into homes and their advice and recommendations are accepted and followed. Community volunteers in Burkina Faso villages make regular home visits and determine infant nutritional status based on weight, height, age and brachial perimeter.

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Infants with severe malnutrition are referred to health centres for appropriate care and further follow up. Volunteers help parents and children get to health care facilities, which can be far from villages. They then work with the facilities on care and follow up for the mothers and their children. Volunteers also provide families with children suffering from any degree of malnutrition rehydration salts, basic hygiene training, vitamins and more. Critically, volunteers teach parents how to prepare simple, fortified porridge. Even with price increases, porridge is low-cost. It can prevent nearly all child nutritional deficiencies. It is an easy way to prevent malnutrition and get back to health children who suffer from it.

NEWS

Farmers worry as Namibia battles the fourth and worst wave of brown locust outbreak Recently, FAO through partial funding from USAID-BHA donated 56 smartphones and 40 tablets to the Agriculture Ministry to enable the ministry to intensify surveillance, monitoring and the timely reporting and sharing of information on the locust outbreak. The ministry has managed to survey 2.119 million hectares across the country. Despite the challenges encountered in the field by monitoring and control personnel, including the rocky and sometimes inaccessible terrain in certain areas, the monitoring and control teams remain resolute in their mission to safeguard livelihoods. “Surveillance and control can be a challenge in such a large region such as Karas but we are trying our very best each day,” Llewellyn Muenjo, Agriculture Ministry’s chief agricultural technician in Karas, who is leading a surveillance and control team on the ground said.

amibia is battling the fourth and worst wave of the brown locust outbreak, which remains a daunting challenge in the country’s southern regions. The Namibia Agriculture Ministry estimates that around 1.2 million hectares of cultivated fields have been infested by brown locusts in Karas region, which has already spilled over into the neighbouring Hardap region to the north of Karas. Both regions are just emerging from a six-year harsh drought period that ended recently in 2019, and the outbreak of the locust is heavily affecting livelihoods and agricultural production. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Karas and Hardap regions’ main source of livelihoods is livestock farming, with about 70-80 percent of inhabitants raising small stock such as goats and sheep for their own consumption and income. Johannes Muhenje – a farmer from Aus – says he has never witnessed such large swarms of locusts in the 30 years that he has lived and reared animals in the Karas region. “The locusts have started feasting on the grass and trees near our cattle outposts and very soon if they are not brought under control nothing will be left for our livestock,” Johannes said, expressing uncertainty about the future.

Eddy Kooper, a small-scale farmer in Constansia 2, a livestock outpost, expressed fear of what lies ahead if the locusts are not controlled. “It’s a dire situation, we hope that the government can bring it under control and salvage the remaining grass so that our livestock do not starve during the winter period,” he said. Brown locust masses on roads have also made roads in the region very slippery and dangerous. Locust related accidents have become frequent and several people have lost their lives in these accidents. To avert a crisis, FAO has been at the forefront of supporting the Namibian government through the Agriculture Ministry in its monitoring and surveillance activities to boost the ministry’s locust control efforts on the ground. The current support builds on prior support targeting similar outbreaks of African Migratory Locust and Red Locust in the northern part of the country. “With funding from the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), FAO through the project “African Migratory Locust Response to Mitigate Impacts on Food Security and Livelihoods” is servicing 22 vehicles carrying out monitoring and control efforts. This support enables personnel on the ground to survey large tracts of land infested by locusts and to carry out locust control interventions,” FAO said.

“We are hopeful that with strong stakeholder collaboration, such as that with FAO, we can overcome this threat and be able to avert a fullblown disaster,” he added. Additionally, FAO has facilitated training of 348 farmers and 158 technical staff on the eLocust3m mobile phone application for surveillance, monitoring and mapping across all 14 regions in Namibia. “FAO remains committed to support Namibia’s efforts to bring these menacing pests under control and encourages all stakeholders to join hands in combating the outbreak,” said Gift Kamupingene, FAO national project coordinator. During February 2020 the first wave of the African Migratory Locust (AML) was reported in northeastern in the Zambezi and Kavango East and West regions. This was followed by a second wave which was reported in August 2020, and covering the north-eastern as well as north-central regions of Kunene, Ohangwena, Oshana, Omusati and Oshikoto. In March 2021, a third wave was reported and this comprised of AML and Red Locust – to a lesser extent – in the aforementioned areas, and Brown Locust in the southern parts. During that period, it was reported that over 2 000 hectares of cropland and more than 700 000 hectares of grazing fields were negatively impacted by the locusts.

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REPORT

Poor rains, cyclones affect farming in SADC countries: Report

outh-eastern Angola, southern Namibia, southern Botswana, and much of South Africa received above-average seasonal rainfall between January and March 2022. This is contained in the latest SADC Food Early Warning System report prepared by SADC FANR Directorate in collaboration with USAID/FEWS Net. It said Malawi, the eastern half of Zambia, much of northern Mozambique, and central and eastern Madagascar received near-average seasonal rainfall totals, despite heavy rainfall that was received due to several cyclones affecting some of these areas. “The seasonal totals in Malawi, the eastern half of Zambia, much of northern Mozambique, and central and eastern Madagascar areas are near normal despite the high rainfall received during cyclone events in late January to early-March period,” the report reads. “The heavy rainfall during early 2022 decreased seasonal rainfall deficits; however, the poor temporal distribution of rainfall caused suboptimal crop performance in a number of areas including parts of Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.” Turning to crop conditions SADC said the prolonged dryness in February and early March caused a reduction in soil moisture available to crops in southern Mozambique, northern Namibia, north-eastern South Africa, and much of Zimbabwe.

“While the precise impact of the dryness will depend to some extent on local farm management practices including use of conservation agriculture techniques, selection of crop variety and crop type, soil management, and dates of planting, the general observation was that crops in many central areas were negatively affected. “In southern Mozambique and in Zimbabwe, reports indicated that crops in several areas were a write-off, with little to no harvest due to drying up.” SADC added preliminary reports suggest that maize crops, which are the predominant crops grown in many of the affected areas, were more severely affected than other crops. “It is likely that many of these areas may have experienced below average crop yields. In contrast, the main maize-growing areas of South Africa had average to above average due to the favourable rainfall conditions that persisted through much of the crop growing season.” The SADC report also noted livestock and pasture that despite the extended dry spell that affected central parts of the region, vegetation performed relatively well in these areas, based on an analysis of the percent of average seasonal greenness. “The vegetation index compared to average conditions for the same period, and over the course of a season, it tends to give a good indicator of the total amount of biomass (e.g. grazing matter, in areas that are primarily

grasslands) accumulated, and hence the amount of grazing available to livestock.” It said most parts of the region had above average pastures, except for southern Madagascar, where the pastures were below average while in south-western Angola, northwestern Namibia, Malawi, eastern Zambia and northern Mozambique, the pastures were slightly below to well-below average. “In these areas, grazing conditions are likely to have been negatively affected by the poor rainfall performance, especially in southern Madagascar where conditions are well below average. Cyclone Impacts Five tropical storms and cyclones struck and affected several SADC Member States, including Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe. “The tropical storms and cyclones brought heavy rains and strong winds, causing significant flooding and landslides, and resulting in fatalities, displacements, destruction of infrastructure and flooding of cropped areas.” The SADC report agricultural impacts included over 60 000 hectares (ha) of rice being flooded twice in eastern Madagascar from Intense Tropical Cyclones Batsirai and Emnati, with concerns for end-of-season rice production in Madagascar. “In Mozambique, over 220 000 hectares of crops are estimated to have been lost due to the three cyclones and storms that struck over the course of the season,” the SADC report added.

Severe food shortages hit 13% of Zambians

arming families in Zambia are experiencing a slow and silent climate crisis that has driven about 13%of the population into severe food shortages, which is having a knockon effect across the country, Save the Children has said. According to the international body, at least 1.58 million people are facing an underreported environmental disaster, including late rains, prolonged dry spells, extreme high temperatures, devastating insect swarms, and floods. “Zambia topped a list of the world’s underreported crises in 2021as other emergencies overshadowed the slow creeping yet catastrophic suffering and enormous needs in this large, peaceful country in Southern Africa. Rising hunger levels are impacting the ability of children to go to school, with some staying home due to hunger pains, and

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contributing to some of the highest malnutrition rates in the world,” Save the Children said in a statement this week. It said farmers producing maize, the country’s principal food crop, are being significantly affected by changes in weather patterns with the rainy season coming later each year, and the share of time spent in the dry season or drought becoming progressively longer. “Smallholders account for 90% of food produced in Zambia and the impact on their lives by changing weather patterns has a knock-on effect across the country. With declines in crop yield and production impacting household incomes, in turn impacting the capacity of people across the country to purchase goods and services, the overall economy is being damaged by the crisis.

“After 15 years of economic progress, including achieving lower middle-income status in 2011, Zambia’s economy has stalled, and the country now has among the highest wealth inequality in the world,” it said. It added: “The Zambezi River floodplains in Western Province are some of the worst impacted areas, with 10 of 16 districts estimated to be in crisis levels of food insecurity. While the region continues to receive annual floods - a vital part of the cultivation cycle - the rains are coming later, and falling for a shorter period. This leaves farmers with little time to sow their crops and grow them to maturity before the long, dry season starts.” One of the affected farmers is Clement (42) in the Western Province of Zambia.

NEWS He is a subsistence farmer and has seen his family become poorer over the years because of the increasingly erratic rainfall in the region. He said: “The rains were delayed – they started in January – so the time for the rains will be too short, we had to plant too late, and the plants won’t have time to get mature. The issue is that when it rains, it is too late for us to farm properly,” he said. “I have seen a change, with the rain patterns. It used to rain earlier, in September or October. But this time and in recent years, it is not. The rains have changed from October to January this year. “We know there is a change in climate, and we know we need to change crops. The change is here. In the past, we used to experience heavy floods. But now, when the floods come, they come suddenly, and leave abruptly, damaging the crops.” According to Jo Musonda, Save the Children country director in Zambia, the farmers deserve better. “The farming families of Zambia deserve better. Children of farmers deserve to know that

there will be a future for them on the land of their forebears, that the actions by greedy individuals and companies in countries far away won’t rob them of the little they have,” Musonda said. “Zambia is a country that rarely hits the headlines. Its people are peaceful and don’t draw attention to themselves. However, this positive characteristic of the country is working against it, with a slow yet catastrophic crisis bubbling just beneath

the surface. “We work with farmers across the country who don’t know what climate change is, but know something is changing. They tell us they can’t plan their harvest anymore, that they need to change crops but they have no experience in doing so, or access to different seeds. They are resilient and resourceful, but they hadn’t thought they would need to adapt to an entirely new climate.

Food insecurity in Tanzania as drought takes toll

ccording to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the situation is still unfolding; there is a dire need to address its effects now. “The Climate Outlook for November 2021 – April 2022 (NDJFMA) Rainfall Season indicated that rains were likely to be below normal over some regions in the country which may result in water levels in rivers, reservoirs and a decrease in aquifer recharge were likely to occur in areas where below normal rainfall is expected,” the IFRC said in statement Wednesday. “From November 2021 to January 2022 prolonged periods of dry spells were experienced and a forecasted slight increase in rainfall was expected in March 2022.” The Tanzania Food and Nutrition Security Analysis System known in Swahili as ‘Mfumo wa Uchambuzi wa Uhakika wa Chakula na Lishe’ (MUCHALU) framework actioned by conducting the IPC, in November 2021, and highlighted some areas representing different livelihood zones proximity to represent the entire zones. “From the IPC results, the four district councils of Handeni, Longido, Mkinga, and Monduli will also remain classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis). In February 2022, a Comprehensive Food Security and Nutrition Assessment Report Coordinated by the National Food Security Division - Ministry of Agriculture and Disaster Management

Department-Prime Minister Office highlighted the projection of the drought for the projected period of analysis (May – September 2022). “The report shows the number of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity is expected to increase, representing 17% of the population, compared against 13% in the current period of analysis. This is due to anticipated inadequate rainfall, which is expected to be normal to below normal. This is likely to contribute to the low production of food crops and livestock, which will, in turn, lead to decreasing food stocks available at the household level, as a majority of households depend on rain-fed farming and agro-pastoralism. “As a consequence of low production, prices are also projected to increase and will negatively impact food access. It is projected that about 497,000 people (14% of the population analyzed) will be in Crisis (IPC Phase 3) and about 95,000 people (3% of the population analyzed) will be in an Emergency (IPC Phase 4). Around 929,000 people (26% of the population analyzed) are projected to be in a Stressed situation (IPC Phase 2). According to IFRC, in December 2021, the situation went worse, impacts of the forecast were experienced in the Nothern Maasai pastoralist Livelihood Zone in the Arusha region. These includes parts of Longido and Monduli districts and Manyara regions, Simanjiro, and Kiteto

where the prolonged dry spell from November 2021 to 15 January 2022 resulted to a severe shortage of pasture and water for livestock in this zone. “TRCS in collaboration with Government Authorities conducted an assessment in the most affected and targeted areas, which are predominantly occupied by the Maasai community whose source of livelihood depends on the livestock. During the assessment, it was realized more than 60,000 animals were dead, some of the carcasses were found in the boma, communities went for several coping mechanisms, positive and negative to rescue the situation, the triggering factor being reduced forage and water to accommodate peoples’ animals. “Among the coping mechanisms included migration and concentration of livestock in better grazing areas away from their domiciles. Utilisation of family food stocks to feed livestock, and spending some resources to buy animal food supplements mainly impacted families’ economy. Apart from economic loss, communities are psychologically affected and require counselling. IFRC said despite these interventions, the situation remained worrisome because of the prolonged dry spells, which were expected to regain from the March-May rain season, which has not taken place so far.

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REPORT

28 years on, urgency in post-settlement support in land restitution is necessary, says non-profit organisation in land reform – Vumelana Advisory Fund

and Reform – Efforts to redress the dispossession of black people of their land by centuries of colonialism and decades of apartheid have yielded limited progress 28 years into democracy despite the introduction of a raft of policy changes and amendments to the legal framework governing land reform, says Peter Setou, Chief Executive of the Vumelana Advisory Fund, a non-profit organisation that helps beneficiaries of the land reform programme to put their land to profitable use by establishing commercially viable partnerships between communities and investors. In the Oxford Handbook of the South African Economy, agricultural and business scholars, Wandile Sihlobo and Professor Johann Kirsten estimate that, of the 77,580 million hectares of

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farmland owned by white farmers, a total of 13.2 million hectares (or 17 per cent) has already been transferred away from white landowners to the State (3.08 million ha) or Black owners (10.135 million ha) through private and State-supported transactions, including land restitution (Vink and Kirsten 2019).

“Equity and equality remain the founding principles of our freedom, and if we are to uphold these, there is a need to actively involve private players in partnership with government and nongovernment organisations and beneficiaries of land reform to find solutions and further ensure maximum use of the acquired land,” says Setou.

“If we add the hectares of land (2.339 million ha) that were successfully identified for restitution but for which communities elected to receive financial compensation as the means for restitution, then the total area of land rights that were restored since 1994 is 15.56 million ha. This is equivalent to 20 per cent of formerly white-owned land, which is much closer to the 30 per cent target (of 23.25 million ha) than commonly believed,” reads the report.

Setou acknowledges the interventions that the government has made to speed up the land reform programme, however, points out that many of them have failed to yield the expected results. “The willing seller-willing buyer principle takes too long to negotiate and mediation in the claims process is lengthy, and these, coupled with limited institutional capacity to resolve land restitution claims, aggravate the situation.

REPORT

Several challenges remain around resettlement support to new landowners, and the unavailability of monitoring systems to keep track of progress post-settlement does not help matters either. We need to move with urgency to provide the necessary support needed by land reform beneficiaries for them to realise the benefits of their land,” Setou adds. The government has invested more than R60 billion into land reform projects since 1994, yet the land reform programme has not stimulated development in the targeted rural areas. The government’s Financial and Fiscal Communication itself admits that land reform as a mechanism for agricultural development and job creation has failed, with most of the farms showing little or no agricultural activity. A government survey carried out in provinces that include Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal also shows that most of the land reform beneficiaries earn little to no income and most of them seek work on surrounding commercial farms instead of actively farming their own land. Vumelana Advisory Fund agrees with the sentiments expressed by co-writers, Wandile Sihlobo and Professor Johann Kirsten, who opine that the recently formed Land Reform and Agricultural Development Agency, has the potential to speed up land reform. Both Sihlobo and Kirsten advise that the model

could be the vehicle through which farmland can be returned to the majority of South Africans, with three notable differences from previous efforts. Firstly, it would ensure that beneficiaries weren’t being set up to fail, as has been the case in the past. Secondly, commercial farmers, who benefited from the past injustices, would have an opportunity – in a non-politicised way and with little red tape – to contribute meaningfully to land reform. Three, it will happen at the local level where local context and knowledge will drive the process. Both Sihlobo and Kirsten argue that the agency would bring about national coordination, reduce red tape, and become a one-stop-shop for issues related to a decentralised redistribution of agricultural land. In addition, this would not require excessive fiscal outlays but would use existing sources of material and other forms of support from the commercial agricultural sector. Equally, land donations and a recognition for these donations will also be the key mechanism to fast track land reform. Vumelana is of the view that the private sector working in collaboration with the government and other stakeholders in the land reform space have an important role to play to ensure the success of the land reform programme. Since Vumelana was established 10 years ago, the organisation has successfully supported over 23 beneficiary community projects in land reform, facilitating partnerships between communities and private

investors, attracting investments of nearly R1 billion for communities, and putting over 70 000 hectares of land to profitable use, with the potential to create or save in excess of 2 300 jobs. “As we commemorate Freedom Day and what it really means to South Africans, it is also instructive to revisit and implement the recommendations made by the High-Level Panel chaired by former president Kgalema Motlanthe. We cannot move forward if those bottlenecks that the Panel identified are not adequately addressed and sufficiently dealt with. Ignoring the challenges that the Panel identified will not get rid of them. On the contrary, they will linger on and frustrate any future efforts at implementing a land reform programme,” Setou concludes. For years, HUMOFERT S.A. has focused its attention on biotechnology, studying the importance of microorganisms (bacteria and fungi) in the development and health of plants. Systematic research on this area has created several new formulations for the plant nutrition (biofertilizers) and the improvement of the plants’ physical condition (bioeffectors) leading to the recognition of the company as a leader in the biotechnology area in the field of agricultural inputs in Greece. Learn more about us at: www. humofert.eu

Drought situation worsens in Eastern, Southern Ethiopia

he impact of the drought in eastern and southern Ethiopia is worsening affecting pastoralist and agro-pastoralist communities in these areas. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the prolonged drought is the result of three consecutive failed rainy seasons since late 2020. At least 81 million people are affected. “The number of livestock dying from lack of pasture and water is staggering. Estimates from regional governments indicated more than 1.46 million livestock deaths,” OCHA said in a situation report released this week. “This is a key indicator of how alarming the situation has become. Surviving animals have a significantly deteriorated body condition which has decreased their market value and has led to a correlated decrease of the purchasing power of households, who are becoming increasingly

vulnerable with further limited coping strategies. “Food and nutritional insecurity have further soared because livestock remain the main source of nutrition and income for these communities. At least 286 000 people who have the means to travel have migrated in search of water, pasture or assistance, leaving behind their elderly and the sick, which is exposing them to higher vulnerabilities and protection risks.” OCHA added the situation was not expected to improve rapidly and will require a continuous engagement over the months to come, with a likelihood of a fourth consecutive poor rainy season. “According to the most recent seasonal forecast by ICPAC, a below-average belg season is expected. However, some other sources are leaning towards a normal belg season. Actual and forecasted rainfall data from 1 March up to mid-April show that the north eastern part of the country is currently experiencing its top three driest season on record. Crop Monitor for Early

Warning is also leaning towards an upcoming failed season thus leading more people into an alarming situation. It said the March to May season constitutes an important rainfall season, particularly in the equatorial parts of the region where it contributes up to 70% of the total annual rainfall. “A renewed failure of the rains would have massive socio-economic consequences after two years of persistent drought which has already decimated livestock and agriculture and undermined health and well-being in one of the world’s most fragile regions,” it said. “Even with good rains that would help replenish water sources and restore pasture, the recovery from this shock by the affected population will take time, until which time they will require continuous support.”

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REPORT

Agricultural machinery, first quarter down but market remains strong The first three months of the year show a decline in sales of agricultural machinery compared to the same period in 2021. The market contraction is organic compared to the record levels reached in the first quarter of last year. Incentives continue to support the market but geopolitical uncertainties may weigh on the coming months

he machinery market held up well in the first quarter of the year, albeit with a drop compared to the record volumes reached in the same period of 2021. Registration figures, processed by FederUnacoma on the basis of registrations provided by the Ministry of Transport, indicate a total of approximately 5,400 units sold for tractors, down 9.9% compared to the first quarter of last year when registrations were up 57.6% on 2020. In the first three months of 2022, sales of combine harvesters reached 41 units, down 26.8% compared to the previous year (in the first quarter of 2021 they had grown by 180% compared to 2020), while registrations of tractors with loading platforms reached 132 vehicles, down 10.2% compared to the first three months of 2021 (+21.5% compared to 2020). Trailers and telehandlers also remained at high levels, closing the first part of the year with 1,944 (-8.2%) and 309 (-18.7%) units sold, respectively. Also for

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these two types of machines, the drop in 2022 has a relative weight, as it refers to a quarter that in 2021 had seen record increases in registrations (compared to 2020: +37.4% for trailers, +86.3% for telehandlers). After a 2021 marked by extraordinarily high sales volumes for the agricultural machinery market, the setback observed from January to March can therefore be considered organic, as demand for agricultural technology continues to be strong. The transition towards agriculture 4.0, with investments for the purchase of the latest generation of mechanical equipment, and the simultaneous presence of several financing instruments for the purchase of agricultural machinery (credit for 4.0, Nuova Sabatini, NRRP, PSR, Bando ISI-Inail) contribute to supporting this demand. However, as the year progresses, sales trends will inevitably be affected by very significant economic factors.

“We find ourselves in a contradictory economic phase since, while the demand for machinery is going well, price volatility and difficulties in the supply of raw materials, which have been greatly exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, are threatening market growth,” explains Alessandro Malavolti, president of FederUnacoma. The commodity emergency is not only affecting the agricultural machinery industry, making production processes much more expensive, but is also affecting the agricultural sector which, driven by a generalised increase in costs (especially those relating to energy and fertilisers), is seeing its own investment capacities decline. “In this scenario - Malavolti concludes - it is necessary to combine very short-term strategies with a long-term strategic vision, also aimed at exploring new channels and supply methods for raw materials”.

EVENT

Nigeria’s Annual Maize Conference to return

he annual Nigeria Maize Conference is set to return for its 4th edition with the theme ‘Much More Maize 2.0.’

that will increase maize harvest in Nigeria, boost the country’s overall productivity, and reaffirm Bayer’s commitment to improving food security.

the last edition of the conference and this year’s conference seeks to foster more impact in Nigeria and Africa.

The annual gathering of stakeholders and experts in the maize agricultural value chain will be held in Abuja, in a hybrid event that will be open to physical and virtual participants. This year’s conference is coming on the heels of the 2021 edition which was themed ‘Much More Maize’ where Bayer introduced the Much More Maize Toolkit, an innovative solution to help Nigerian farmers maximize farm yields and secure harvests that had previously been hampered by devastating disease and pests.

Organised by Bayer Nigeria Ltd., a subsidiary of Bayer AG Germany, this year’s conference is expected bring together, key industry stakeholders from Bayer SA; the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA); Bayer Nigeria Ltd.; Maize Association of Nigeria (MAAN); Institute of Agricultural Research (IAR); the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD); Agribusiness Department of Unity Bank, among others.

“Although maize production in Nigeria increased from 12.8 to 13.94 million metric tons between 2020 and 2021, propelling the country to become Africa’s largest maize producer (followed by South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia), there is still room for improvement to close the demand gap and meet the crop’s domestic and industrial needs in Nigeria. This year’s conference will reinforce our commitment to addressing poor agronomic factors and the use of bad seeds during planting and cultivation, as well as making a greater impact through innovative solutions to ensure maize production achieves the required productivity and profitability.

The 2022 edition, tagged ‘Much More Maize 2.0’, will further entrench and expose maize farmers and stakeholders to sustainable farming practices

Speaking ahead of the conference, the Country Sales Manager, Bayer Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Temitope Banjo stated that the country had made significant progress in maize production since

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INSIGHT

The application of compost shows agricultural and environmental benefits in the bacterial community The Diverfarming project scientifically proves, through algorithms and bioinformatic approaches, the environmental and agronomic effectiveness of applying compost rather than traditional fertilisers in soils

ustainable agriculture has been gaining terrain in recent decades. This growing system integrates practices that have longterm benefits for the land: it joins together food production and the conservation of environmental and natural resources. Crop rotations, intercropping and the use of sustainable farming practices such as reduced tillage or using organic fertilisers are common practices in this type of agriculture. Within the Diverfarming project, a change of paradigm is sought in European agriculture which moves towards agriculture that is more sustainable environmentally and economically and which looks after the planet, using the tools of sustainable agriculture. On this path, the agronomic, environmental, and socio-economic effects of the different crop diversifications and different agricultural practices are assessed. Taking into account that the soil microorganisms maintain the soil’s health and are crucial for the production of crops in agricultural systems, the Diverfarming project team has centred one of its studies on analysing the effects of sustainable practices such as the use of compost on the

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soil microbial community, responsible for the degradation of contaminants and for soil fertility, among other things. A research team comprising staff from CEBAS – CSIC and Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena has analysed and compared the interactions of the different soil microbe communities in three different growing systems: conventional, an organic system with an annual addition of compost, and an organic system with an annual edition of sheep manure. To study the changes that occurred in those bacterial communities, DNA fragments (known as amplicons) of gen16S rRNA were sequenced and then bioinformatic analyses such as the networks of co-occurrence were used. These enable to know and study the interactions between the microorganisms present in the soil, being able to assess the relationships that exist between them (mutualism, competition, or predation). Moreover, algorithms were used to predict the functionality which enables to study, by means of phylogeny, the potential function that these microorganisms may have in the soil.

All these approaches revealed that the long-term application of compost modified the bacterial community, increasing the complexity of the network and improving bacterial communication. In the case of organic farming practices with the addition of compost, a higher potential was detected for nitrogen fixing, lower emissions of N2O, and a higher potential for carbon sequestration than the other growing systems. This shows the importance of using a stable organic amendment such as compost and the use of appropriate tools to study the long-term response of the bacterial community to growing systems. The application of compost amendments therefore has significant benefits for the grower and for the environment in the long term, since their prolonged application can reduce fertiliser and pesticide use and could create a more stable soil, which would be able to resist the effects of climate change.

INSIGHT

10 Ways to Care of Soil Through a Drought an artificial structure, such as a retaining wall. Do you want a greener idea? Plant a natural windbreak of cedar or arborvitae for privacy and soil maintenance. 7. Use Terraces Terraces help you make the most of the soil you have. They also prevent erosion as higher tiers block lower ones from blowing rain and wind. Hillsides create natural places for terraces. You might be able to construct simple models out of scrap lumber, saving you considerable cash during skyrocketing inflation.

ou have to prepare for every eventuality if you run a sustainable homestead. It’s easy to rest on your laurels when the weather cooperates. What do you do when it doesn’t? Climate change means many regions face droughts severe enough to cause widespread displacement and disruption of livelihoods. What can you do when the rains don’t fall? Here are 10 ways to care for soil through a drought. 1. Make Your Compost Super Composting adds nutrients to the soil the natural way. You might not need much more than garden scraps in a typical year. However, drought requires extra effort to revitalize the substrate your crops use to grow. Try adding the following materials to your compost bin to enrich your soil’s nutrient content: • Worm castings • Bone meal and fish bone meal • High-phosphorus bat guano • Blood meal • Oyster shells • Kelp meal • Alfalfa meal Compost requires time to cook. You’ll need at least 45 to 90 days for the resulting mix to reach a moist, even consistency. 2. Mulch Mulching helps maintain soil moisture, keeping it from evaporating before your plants can lap it up to slake their thirst. Remember to do so next year if you didn’t mulch your land over the fall and winter. This season is often when the rain hits the hardest, encouraging erosion, especially to the top layer of hard-packed, clay-like soils. Fortunately, adding mulch any time of year helps stop water loss. What should you use? It depends

on your objective, but seek brands free of artificial dyes and chemicals. 3. Invest in Earthworms Earthworms are gardeners’ best friends because their burrows encourage irrigation and soil aeration without the need to till. Tilling can loosen too much soil, leading to erosion. You can purchase earthworms at many garden supply stores. Suffice it to say that you should leave any you find while digging in the dirt to go about their business. 4. Add Organic Matter Ultimately, all soil nutrients come from organic matter breakdown. You can preserve small patches of soil during a drought by adding such substances, even if you don’t have a compost bin. For example, it takes relatively little to grind up your eggshells and add them to your soil. It moderates acidity while providing the necessary calcium. 5. Pause Tilling Tilling is backbreaking. Fortunately, there’s a silver lining in every missing rain cloud: You should press pause on this behavior during a drought. Tilling loosens the soil, making it easier for plants to take root. However, it can also lead to water loss and erosion as the dry earth blows away — so much dust in the wind. During drought years, opt for crops that don’t require much aeration. 6. Create Wind Breaks Water isn’t the only natural force that can whisk away your soil. The wind likewise poses a threat. How can you stop it from eroding your soil during a drought? Use windbreaks. You can create

8. Adopt Permaculture Principles Surviving a drought means making use of every available drop. Adopt permaculture principles, such as planting your most water-intensive crops at the bottom of a hill, allowing gravity to direct the water where it’s most needed. You can also plant low-light plants beneath towering, leafy ones. They provide adequate shade from the sun. 9. Rotate Your Crops Crop rotation involves planting different crops in various seasons to replenish soil nutrients. One of the most classic examples is sowing grains after beans to allow the soil’s nitrogen content to readjust. Experiment and research to find out which crops to plant before and after one another. You’ll preserve precious nutrients, minimizing your need for fertilizer or compost. 10. Strip Farm Strip farming is similar in principle to crop rotation. Instead of separate growing seasons, you plant crops next to each other in alternating rows to preserve various soil nutrients. This method works best in regions with shorter growing seasons that don’t allow multiple harvests. Caring for Soil Through a Drought Climate change makes maintaining your sustainable homestead more complicated. However, a little savvy can see you through the dry years. Follow the above tips to care for your soil through a drought. You might have to tighten your belt a little, but you and your homestead will survive to see another growing season. Bio: Jane is an agriculture and environmental journalist and the founder and editorin-chief of Environment.co, where she covers sustainability and eco-friendly living.

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INSIGHT

Cultivating Innovation BY: Luca Gamberini, Co-Founder, Nemo’s Garden, and Alastair Orchard, Vice president of Digital Enterprise, Siemens A comprehensive digital twin of Nemo’s Garden biospheres helped the team address all of their challenges. It not only encompassed the design evolution, but also simulation of the growing conditions within the biospheres and the impact of the equipment and its use on the body of water in which it would be located. They are no longer limited by weather conditions, seasonality and short growing seasons or reliant on physical diving and manual monitoring. Adaptations to the biospheres are tested through simulation software in the virtual world, enabling the team to refine the designs and processes at a massively accelerated rate.

ff the Italian coast, something amazing is happening under the surface of the sea. Resembling a bloom of giant jellyfish anchored to the ocean floor, a new form of agriculture is growing in Nemo’s Garden. These large clear domes, or biospheres, are a unique new type of underwater greenhouse. These biospheres harness the positive environmental factors of the ocean – temperature stability, evaporative fresh-water generation, CO2 absorption, and natural protection from pests – to create an environment ideal for growing all manner of produce. The brainchild behind Nemo’s Garden is Sergio Gamberini, president of diving equipment manufacturer Ocean Reef, who in 2012 was challenged by a friend to combine his experiencing designing diving equipment with his passion for gardening – but he had no idea that it would turn into a new business with a vision of creating more food for the population. Over the past decade, Gamberini and the team at Nemo’s Garden have been working to prove that cultivating fruit and vegetables under water is possible. They have not only successfully harvested a variety of crops from their prototype biospheres but also discovered that the plants grown in this environment were richer in nutrient content than those grown using traditional methods. The next big hurdle was to turn their prototype into a solution that could be deployed globally – but they knew they did not have another 10 years to make this happen, and knew they needed to find a way to employ new technology. A new path to overcome the challenge of scaling Harsh winters, short summers and initial seaflooruse permit limitations capped Nemo’s Garden to one growth cycle a year, which has meant only

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one innovation cycle annually. Only after the growing season and harvest was completed could the team fully understand the impact of a design or process change on the crops – limiting how quickly the team could evolve and scale the project. Any design changes made to reduce cost, increase production capacity or to improve plant health and yield required this lengthy physical testing step along with the associated investment costs of the prototype. Heavily manual monitoring processes during the growth cycle further increased these costs. Nemo’s Garden turned to TekSea, a consulting firm focused on applying industry 4.0 technologies to help organizations deliver sustainable solutions. TekSea’s Matteo Cavalleroni identified Siemens Software as a technology partner who could help transition the prototype into a viable alternative agriculture solution that could be manufactured and installed anywhere in the world. Nemo’s Garden began to implement the Xcelerator portfolio of software and services, and the collaboration expanded from the automation of sensor monitoring to developing a digitalization strategy centered on a Digital Twin of the biosphere. A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical product or process, used to understand, predict, and optimize the physical counterpart’s performance characteristics. Using a digital twin, innovation can happen in a virtual world, free from physical prototyping costs and the time limitations of a traditional approach. The team at Nemo’s Garden was impressed when they saw demonstrations of the software and how a digitalization strategy could help them achieve their vision. As a result, they were keen to begin their digital journey in close collaboration with the global team of Siemens experts.

Reinventing the Biosphere Data collection is important for any type of engineering project; however, it is especially critical when trying to do something entirely new like growing food under the sea. The Nemo’s Garden team had collected a wealth of historical sensor data in previous seasons, which was especially useful for developing the digital twin. Temperature, CO2 / O2 concentration, inclination angles, water levels, and power consumption data was compared with predictions from the initial simulations to validate the digital twin of the Nemo’s Garden domes and surrounding ocean. With a virtual model and test bed available, design iterations started again in earnest without costly physical prototype builds or iterative fine tuning on a sub-sea environment. Rather than rely on a passive growing environment, the conditions within Nemo’s Garden could be tuned as the ocean and biomass changed during the season. This enabled the engineers to answer critical questions – such as: How many plants should be grown in each enclosure? How much sunlight should be let through to the plants? What is the minimum dome thickness and anchor strength required to handle the pressures and forces acting on the structure during both normal and abnormal conditions? – Using 3D design and simulation software, including Siemens’ NX and Simcenter software in the virtual environment, the team was able to push the limits on the design and construction of the biospheres and imagine better biospheres. Previously, changes needed to be made incrementally so all involved could accurately measure the impact. But by leveraging the digital twin of the biosphere with a simulation of the Bay of Noli, the team is now able to make much more impactful changes, more quickly. They are modeling elongated domes to fit more plants per

enclosure and reducing thickness of the material to reduce weight, which also makes transportation and installation easier. The new biospheres could also be constructed with thin polymer lines, which will further reduce deployment struggles, while also reducing the manpower required. Defining a new process In addition to speeding design and development of the biospheres, Nemo’s Garden also needed to optimize and scale the habitats for growing, tracking, and harvesting to achieve their sustainable business goals. They are adopting a fully digital, automated approach, drawing on Siemens’ extensive experience in leveraging software to automate traditional farming practices, that no longer will require trained divers to collect data underwater. Just as with farming on the earth, there are a multitude of factors that can affect plant growth underwater in the biospheres – sunlight, humidity, O2/CO2 concentrations and more – so the team designed robust control systems that could actively monitor and adjust the environment with

much more precision compared to traditional farming. The team next used live video uploaded to Siemens’ MindSphere Internet of Things (IoT) service to train a machine learning algorithm to determine the health of individual plants. With the algorithm deployed onto Siemens Edge controllers placed in each biosphere, the Nemo’s Garden team could remotely monitor the plants throughout the season - from anywhere, in real time. Next season the Edge controller will be connected to actuators allowing the trained AI to automatically adjust air circulation, humidity, irrigation and nutritional dosing throughout the whole season. This will be the foundation of a global agricultural service, optimized for subsea operations, and tuned for each of the world’s oceans. Harvesting the benefits of a digital twin & the future for Nemo’s Garden The team at Nemo’s Garden has taken something that started out as a light-hearted challenge over dinner with friends and turned it into a viable

agricultural alternative. In partnership with Siemens, they are turning this unique concept into a commercially viable subsea farming platform that can be sustainably deployed around the world, especially in areas where environmental or economic reasons prevent traditional plant growth. While the seeds of success already have been planted with Nemo’s Garden, the team is still pushing toward their ultimate goal of providing more food for the world’s population with hundreds of installations around the globe. They are already exploring ways to further refine their undersea agriculture platform with exciting new Siemens technologies that will enable them to introduce everything from robotics to solar power. Leveraging software as a service and the digital twin, they will continue to propagate new ideas and innovations that will increase their yields while further decreasing their environmental footprint.

Nigeria top priority under African Development Bank Africa Emergency Food Plan The initiative will support the country’s 5 million smallholder farmers during the wet season of 2022

The head of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, met with Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Tuesday to discuss the impact of the RussiaUkraine war and the Bank’s strategy to avoid a food crisis in Africa. Adesina informed President Buhari that the African Development Bank has designed a $1.5 billion Africa Emergency Food Production Plan to support countries to rapidly produce around 38 million tonnes of food to mitigate the effect of the war on food prices. This will include 11 million tonnes of wheat; 18 million tonnes of maize; 6 million tonnes of rice; and 2.5 million tonnes of soybeans. Nigeria is a top priority under the emergency food production plan, Adesina said, adding that the strategy will help the country produce 9.5 million tonnes of food. The initiative will support the country’s 5 million smallholder farmers during the wet season of 2022 and 1 million across 10 northern states during the dry season of 2022/2023, the Bank chief estimated. Adesina stressed: “Urgent actions are needed to prevent a food crisis in Africa.” He reaffirmed that the Bank “is fully prepared to meet this new challenge head-on.” President Buhari said his

Official figures estimate that the price of wheat has soared in Africa by over 45% since the war began. Fertilizer prices have gone up by 300%, and the continent faces a fertilizer shortage of 2 million metric tons. If this is not made up, food production in Africa will decline by 20% and the continent could lose over $11 billion in value of food production.

government was committed to encouraging farmers to increase yields and ensure there is adequate food supply in Nigeria. The Nigerian President commended the African Development Bank for the plan to “swiftly and boldly” mitigate the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war on food supplies. Russia and Ukraine dominate exports of wheat and maize to Africa. With the disruption of supplies arising from the war, Africa now faces a shortage of at least 30 million metric tons of food, especially for wheat, maize, and soybeans imported from both countries.

The African Development Bank’s emergency food plan is currently before the Bank’s Board of Directors for approval. It is set for implementation by the end of May 2022 and will cover all African member countries of the Bank. The African Development Bank is also supporting Nigeria in establishing Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zones (SAPZ), which the Nigerian president is due to launch soon. Both parties agreed that putting the African Development Bank’s emergency food plan and SAPZ initiatives into action in Nigeria, which is Africa’s biggest economy and most populous nation, will increase food production, lower food price inflation and transform the agriculture sector. This will, in turn, ensure food security and create jobs.

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INSIGHT

Africa must prepare for the inevitability of a global food crisis says African Development Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina Adesina warned that the tripling costs of fertilizer, rising energy prices, and rising costs of food baskets, could worsen in Africa in the coming months

frican Development Bank Group President (www.AfDB.org) Dr Akinwumi Adesina says “Africa must prepare for the inevitability of a global food crisis.” He was speaking about Africa’s priorities, as a guest at the Atlantic Council’s Africa Center on Friday. Fielding questions from the Council’s Africa Center Chair, Ambassador Rama Yade; Senior Fellow Aubrey Hruby; and Washington/UN correspondent for Jeune Afrique and The Africa Report, Julian Pecquet, the Bank chief called for an increased sense of urgency amid what he described as a once-in-a-century convergence of global challenges for Africa. According to Adesina, the continent’s most vulnerable countries had been hit hardest by conflict, climate change and the Covid-19 pandemic, which had upended economic and development progress in Africa. He said Africa, with the lowest GDP growth rates, had lost as many as 30 million jobs on account of the pandemic. Speaking about the impact of the RussiaUkraine war, Adesina expressed sympathy for the people of Ukraine, describing their suffering as unimaginable. He said the war’s ramifications spread far beyond Ukraine to other parts of the world, including Africa. He explained that Russia and Ukraine supply 30% of global wheat exports, the price of which has surged by almost 50% globally, reaching identical levels as during the 2008 global food crisis. He added that fertilizer prices had tripled, and energy prices had increased, all fueling inflation. Adesina warned that the tripling costs of fertilizer, rising energy prices, and rising costs of food baskets, could worsen in Africa in the coming months. He noted that 90% of Russia’s $4 billion exports to Africa in 2020 was made up of wheat; and 48% of Ukraine’s near $3 billion exports to the continent was made of wheat and 31% of maize. Adesina cautioned that to fend off a food crisis, Africa must rapidly expand its food production. “The African Development Bank is already active in mitigating the effects of a food crisis through the African Food Crisis Response and Emergency Facility – a dedicated facility being considered by the Bank to provide African countries with the resources needed to raise local food production and procure fertilizer.

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“My basic principle,” Adesina said, “is that Africa should not be begging. We must solve our own challenges ourselves without depending on others…” The Bank chief spoke about early successes through the Bank’s innovative flagship initiative, Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) program, a program operating across nine food commodities in more than 30 African countries. Adesina said TAAT has helped to rapidly boost food production at scale on the continent, including the production of wheat, rice and other cereal crops: “We are putting our money where our mouth is. We are producing more and more of our own food. Our Africa Emergency Food Production Plan will produce 38 million metric tons of food.” He said TAAT had already delivered “heat-tolerant varieties of wheat to 1.8 million farmers in seven countries, increasing wheat production by over 1.4 million metric tons and a value of $291 million.” According to Adesina, heat-tolerant varieties were now being planted across hundreds of thousands of hectares in Ethiopia and Sudan, with extraordinary results. In Ethiopia, where the government has put the TAAT program to work in a 200,000-hectare lowland irrigated wheat program, farmers are reporting yields of 4.5 to five times per hectare. He said TAAT’s climatesmart seeds were also thriving in Sudan, which recorded its largest wheat harvest ever – 1.1 million tons of wheat – in the 2019-2020 season. He added that TAAT came to the rescue during the drought in southern Africa in 2018 and 2019, deploying heat-tolerant maize varieties which were cultivated by 5.2 million households on 841 thousand hectares. As a result, he said, farmers survived the drought in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia, allowing maize production to expand by 631,000 metric tons to a value of $107 million. Adesina also spoke about the urgent and timely need for a strong replenishment of the African Development Fund – the Bank Group’s concessional lending arm that supports lowincome African countries. He said the Fund has connected 15.5 million people to electricity and supported 74 million people with improved

agriculture; it has provided 50 million people with access to transport; built 8,700 kilometers of roads; and provided 42 million people with upgraded water and sanitation facilities. The Bank chief said there were three lessons to be learned for Africa from the challenges Africa is facing: first, that the continent could no longer leave the health security of its people to the benevolence of others; second, that it must look at health investments differently, and make the development of a health defense system a priority—investing in quality health infrastructure as a must—and third, that economies—which were already turning around—must create fiscal space to deal with debt challenges. Asked about the outcomes for Africa of the global climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow last November, and how he foresaw prospects for success at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt in 2022, Adesina expressed optimism. He said it was important for developed countries to make good on their promise to provide Africa with the $100 billion a year required for climate adaptation. Adesina said: “Our challenge is adaptation because we didn’t cause the problem. In Africa, we are adapting to climate change.” He explained that the African Development Bank, together with its partner the Global Center for Adaptation, was mobilizing 25 billion dollars to support climate adaptation in Africa. The African Development Bank chief highlighted the importance of the technology sector as a driver for growth in Africa, and prospects for young people on the continent. Adesina described Africa’s youth as one of its greatest assets. He lauded the contributions of young entrepreneurs in the fintech, digital, creative arts and entertainment industries. He said the need by young entrepreneurs for innovative financing is why the Bank is exploring with stakeholders the establishment of specialized youth entrepreneurship investment banks to unlock potential and economic growth.

INSIGHT

‘More awareness’ is the key to helping rural farmers access veterinary care

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Awareness, awareness, awareness.” It is critical for farmers and pet owners in rural areas to be made aware of the importance of proper preventative veterinary care to ensure optimal animal health, says South African Veterinary Council (SAVC) vice-president and veterinarian Dr Nomsa Mnisi. People living in South Africa’s more remote rural areas face challenges such as the limited availability of veterinary professionals, inequitable access to veterinary services and the high cost of private veterinary care. Dr Mnisi believes that if such issues are not adequately addressed through awareness and education campaigns about primary healthcare, outbreaks of animal disease could ultimately pose a threat to food production and security, as well as public health. This is because animal health is closely linked to human and environmental health. “Animal healthcare is often treated as a service for the rich. But it’s not – it’s for everyone. It’s a basic need, like water and electricity. As veterinary professionals, we need to take the lead and create awareness among our colleagues, as well as among health and education professionals, of the importance of animal health and then head out into communities with the same message,” says Dr Mnisi. “It starts with us.”

reality is that it is often not financially sustainable or viable to set up permanent practices in these areas, and the challenge requires a more nuanced approach. One obvious solution, she believes, is educating rural farmers and pet owners about the importance of primary healthcare, which can prevent many animal diseases before they spiral out of hand and become a problem among a particular livestock population. This includes vaccinations against diseases such as brucellosis and anthrax, which are offered by state veterinary services for free in most instances, and vaccinating dogs and cats against rabies. “Most people only call for veterinary or paraveterinary assistance when there’s a problem, but if we create more awareness, more rural farmers will know about the preventative element instead of waiting until it’s perhaps too late for an infected animal or herd,” says Dr Mnisi. “Disease can take hold, multiply and cause more problems. We need a proper understanding of animal health and ownership. It’s true when some people say that a dog or cat is like having another child – because when you commit to owning a pet or other animal, you should do it properly and responsibly, and know what you’re in for.”

She explains that in rural areas, farmers depend largely on the services of veterinarians and paraveterinarians located in urban centres, who have to drive long distances to examine and treat sick animals. “Sometimes, a farmer or animal owner will call for service and only get attended to days later – it’s seldom they can ask for and receive help on the same day, and animals can die in that time.

Peers, fellow farmers and neighbours can play a major role in encouraging others in their community to take advantage of free animal vaccination campaigns in their areas, she believes. Furthermore, she says education about the importance of animal health should begin at primary school level, so it can become embedded in people’s consciousness from a young age.

“When rural farmers do receive timely veterinary services, it can be very expensive if it’s a private vet – and affordability becomes an issue. As for state vets, government-run facilities have their own challenges in terms of resources. And if they write a script for a farmer, the farmer still needs to travel to a town to get it filled.” The result is that animals in far-flung areas often receive little to no veterinary care – or when they do, it comes too late.

“Unchecked disease in animal populations can affect the availability and safety of food produced, with implications such as food shortages and expensive imports. There is also the matter of antimicrobial resistance, which can arise through the irresponsible use of antibiotics. Plus, there are the public health implications of, for example, stray dogs with rabies biting humans, and if you do not take care of issues like internal and external parasites, they can come back and haunt human health.”

But, Dr Mnisi insists, it’s not merely a matter of training up and dispatching more veterinary and para-veterinary professionals to rural areas. The

Ultimately, animal and human health should become everyone’s business, asserts Dr Mnisi. More visible communications campaigns in this

regard, including job shadowing, could also prick the curiosity of youngsters from under-served areas to want to enter the veterinary and paraveterinary professions and make a difference in the communities they hail from. “I’m here as a veterinary professional to bridge the gap between human and animal health,” she says. “I always say that a happy animal means a happy farmer and a happy community.”

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INSIGHT

Agricultural sector should be proactive in mitigating and adapting to climate change

will force the farmers hand to either adapt or shift production to more suitable areas.

Paul Makube, Agricultural Economist at FNB, says they recognise the historical and current contribution by agriculture to greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) that interfere with the climate system and the negative consequences of that.

Parts of the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape have recently battled a devastating outbreak of locust swarms that have damaged and consumed thousands of hectares of grazing. Experts have contributed massive outbreaks in recent years to “unusual climate conditions”.

gricultural sector should be proactive in mitigating and adapting to climate change Global and domestic food security remains under extreme threat. Climate change has always been the main driver for the threat, however, the recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia has drastically increased concerns about the impact of war on soaring food prices and input costs.

“Pests and diseases will also respond to changing conditions and move to areas where they were not previously experienced thus compounding challenges for farmers,” warns Makube.

“The decades long cumulative effect of GHG emissions has resulted in changing weather patterns characterised by extreme and prolonged droughts, intermittent rainfall and flooding conditions, and the rise in sea levels.”

Mitigation Makube says it is imperative for the agricultural sector to implement “precision and conservation agriculture” in its production systems to mitigate its impact on climate change. This entails deployment of precision tools in fertilizer application and the use of environmentally friendly types, cover cropping, crop cycling, and no-till farming.

This interferes with normal production operations and planning, causing volatility in output prices, and threatening global and domestic food security, he adds. Hot, hotter, hottest According to the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report it is “virtually certain” that hot extremes (including heatwaves) have become more frequent and more intense across most land regions since the 1950s. The report states that cold extremes (including cold waves) have become less frequent and less severe. These hot extremes observed over the past decade would have been extremely unlikely to occur without human influence on the climate system. “Marine heatwaves have approximately doubled in frequency since the 1980s, and human influence has very likely contributed to most of them since at least 2006,” the report found. Makube says they have been observing periodical droughts and a gradual shift in weather patterns that has impacted both livestock and crop production. “Erratic rainfall and delays in the onset of seasons reduce normal optimal planting windows for crops in various areas. Consequently, yields are impacted negatively in crops such as maize as they do not receive sufficient heat units when planted beyond the planting window. They are further potentially exposed to potential frost that may cause serious damages.”

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long term forecasts indicate that climate change in South Africa will cause temperatures to increase on average by 2.5 to 3 degrees Celsius by 2050.

Rising ambient temperatures in normally warm areas have also forced farmers to adopt intensive livestock systems at a huge cost. “This also comes with high energy demand in cooling hi-tech environmental housing, thus making such operations vulnerable to power outages which have now become part of South Africa’s landscape.” Rapidly changing conditions Makube says long term forecasts indicate that climate change in South Africa will cause temperatures to increase on average by 2.5 to 3 degrees Celsius by 2050. It is expected that hot regions will expand in size and warm regions will become hot. Rainfall is expected to generally decline with more extremities such as flooding and hailstorms. This

Furthermore, it requires the use of improved technology such as nets in orchards, not only to reduce evapotranspiration (transfer from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants) but also to improve quality of products. Producers could improve herd management through effective breeding and genetics that may ensure lower emissions to conserve the environment. The health of livestock can be improved through the development of new vaccines and environmentally safe pest control mechanisms. “If we ignore the signs, global temperatures will continue to rise and disrupt weather patterns. This means high crop failures, surging commodity prices, and famine across the globe,” warns Makube. It is critical to continue with research into regenerative agriculture, which aims to increase biodiversity, reduce water consumption, recycle farm waste, sequestrate GHG emissions and improve soil health and the climate resilience of crops. “At FNB we will increase financing in the green economy and support and encourage the use of technology and climate-smart agriculture,” says Makube.

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10 Best ways to preserve food throughout the year

e waste about 108 billion pounds of food each year. This food could have gone to hungry families and ended up in landfills instead. Once it breaks down, greenhouse gasses are released, contributing to climate change. Preserving food can help prevent these issues and save you a trip to the store. So, here are a few tricks for keeping your leftovers fresh.

able to enter the can. There are two techniques you can use-water bath canning and pressure canning. Water bathing is heating cans at a low temperature for an extended time to get rid of the mold and yeast. This is good for high-acid items, like fruits. Pressure canning involves high temperatures and specific equipment to keep vegetables fresh.

1. Cold Storage Methods This involves storing food in refrigerators within cool, dark places like root cellars. A root cellar is built underground and is insulated. This cooling method slows down the growth of micrograms that cause items to spoil. Add produce such as potatoes, yams and onions to the fridge. It’s also helpful in storing jars of canned or pickled vegetables. This is perfect for people who have limited space in their main refrigerator. The food should stay fresh for up to six months.

4. Freezing Items Freezing food is a simple way to conserve fresh flavors and textures. The process helps to slow down the growth of harmful microorganisms and enzymes. So, freeze any room-temperature foods, remove the air from the freezer bag and store. How long the food will last depends on the type. For example, the meat will last for about three months in the freezer. Place your leftovers in a vacuum-sealed bag to extend the shelf-life.

2. Drying the Food When you dry food it prevents the growth of bacteria and yeast. You can use electric food dehydrators or ovens to remove the moisture. These devices make the process quicker and keep your family healthy. Once you finish drying the food, store it in clean canning jars or plastic freezer bags. Food like fruits, vegetables and meats dehydrate well. These typically then can last between four months to a year. Preserving meat is critical because the production process releases methane gasses. 3. Canning Techniques Canning is a standard method that has been around for a while. It uses heat to kill food-spoiling bacteria. The warmth pushes air from the jar as it cools, causing it to seal. Then new germs aren’t

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5. Try Sun-Drying Drying food can prevent moisture from accumulating, reducing the risk of bacteria growth. So, on a sunny day, take out your fruits. Then bring the food inside overnight and cover it. Grains can also be sun-dried. Many farmers use this technique for post-harvest management. Then the grains are sometimes brought to a storage facility. The site should be close to the farm and use natural gas drying methods. You want to avoid sun-drying meat or vegetables. This is because they don’t have the same acid fruits do. 6. Add Some Salt or Sugar Adding salt or sugar to your food can be easy to preserve. Plus, you probably have some lying around your house. Salt and sugar both remove

moisture and prevent bacteria growth. Some common food kept in sugar includes jam. Fish, pork and bacon are common foods preserved with salt. After salting the item, hang it to dry or add acid, such as vinegar. 7. Preserve Food With Alcohol This method has a long history dating back to the Europeans. Fruits, such as peaches or cherries, were dipped in brandy and served as dessert. Alcohol can help remove the water and prevent microbial growth. It is an excellent method to create extracts or infused alcohols. Vodka, wine and brandy are all excellent alcohol choices. Plus, these add a kick of flavor to your favorite fruits. 8. Pickle With Vinegar This method creates a high acid environment that kills the bacteria. Vinegar is heated and then added to fruits or vegetables. You can pickle multiple foods, including cucumber, apples and beets. These foods usually last about two months. Make sure to store them in a jar in your refrigerator. To pickle, the vegetables boil over medium to high heat and add water, salt and spices. 9. Preserve in Olive Oil Olive oil prevents spoilage by isolating food from the air. This provides a seal that can slow down the oxidation and molding process. Olive oil preservation works well for fish, herbs and vegetables. Ensure to store low-acid food, like garlic or mushrooms, in the fridge to prevent bacteria. The vegetables will last about three to four months in the fridge. Olive oil is another product you probably already have in your cabinet. So, this is a simple way to keep food fresh that won’t break the bank. 10. Use the Fermentation Process Femrantion is the chemical reaction where microorganisms convert carbohydrates to alcohol. This process is what makes things like cheese and yogurt. Fermentation also helps in food storage. It converts low-acid items into high acid ones to extend their shelf life. They can also be canned in a water bath. The food is fermented using salt, so it’s easier to digest and more nutritious. Also, the flavor and texture change due to the acidity. How to Properly Store Food Often it is easy to throw away food when you feel it has expired. Plus, leftovers aren’t always the most appealing. However, it’s essential to prevent food waste and help the environment. So, try these preservation tips to save your next meal. Bio: Jane is an agriculture and environmental journalist and the founder and editorin-chief of Environment.co, where she covers sustainability and eco-friendly living.

FEATURE

Impact of Ukraine War on Farmers

Spare the Goose that Lays the Golden egg The government, in this context, South Africa, should create an enabling economic climate to assist both producers and consumers of food. While there should be no interference with the prices of agricultural inputs and outputs, the economic climate can be made more enabling through tax regulations. By Eric Peters

s analysts have widely pointed out through various media outlets, the war in Ukraine is already impacting heavily on global food production, due to skyrocketing oil prices and shortage of critical inputs, mainly fertilizer, vaccines and pesticides. This is because Russia and Ukraine are the world’s leading suppliers of fertilizer. Mainly, this is rooted in two factors. On one hand, sanctions from western sanctions bar Russia from exporting to other countries. On the other hand, as a result of the destruction of factory and transport infrastructure, in Ukraine, the production of phosphate has been disrupted. Besides, rising oil prices have sparked an increase in transportation costs, which is reflected on input costs like equipment spare parts and seeds and pesticides. Unquestionably, the double whammy of inflationary impact of oil prices and scarcity of fertilizer on production requires the urgent intervention of governments. Of course, ultimately, the buck stops with farmers themselves. Prof Frikkie Maré is Academic Departmental Head: Agricultural Economics at University of the Free State. When asked about his view on the matter, he contends that this is a situation which requires governments to go all-out in sparing the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg: commercial farmers. With reference to South Africa, he states that the government should let market forces dictate, as food producers have to sustain their operation in the long-term. Trying times for governments The precariousness of the current situation is more intelligible when the social, economic and economic implications of food supply shortages, as well as the attendant effect of inflation, on the population are taken into account. In most developing and least developed countries, citizens – the majority of who can barely eke a living - face the reality of starvation. A familiar trend in history is that high food prices are the trigger for political unrests, which in most cases unseat or destabilise incumbent governments, in countries. And so, with this view in mind, governments may be tempted to pursue populist

decisions to intervene through the introduction of unrealistic price control measures on food products. Arguably, on the face of it, these measures may seem well-meant – aimed at lessening the impact of high prices on livelihood. However, empirical evidence suggests that they do not always produce the much desired results. Unfortunately, in most cases, implementation of politically expedient decisions is always to the detriment of commercial food producers, who, reeling under pressure, are driven out of business. For a textbook case of employing politically convenient decisions to address an economic problem, one does not need to go further than South Africa’s northern neighbour, Zimbabwe, where invasions of white commercial farmers during the era of Robert Mugabe have driven the economy in a rut it cannot get out of. Similarly, classic examples in Africa are a dime and a dozen. Don’t interfere with markets Bearing in mind that any envisaged benefits of government price measures of borne unintended consequences in countries in the region, a rational approach is needed. Professor Maré suggests that the government should not directly interfere with markets unless it is absolutely necessary. “The agricultural market in most countries is a price system where both input and output prices are determined by demand and supply. As soon as you interfere with this market by introducing things like price ceilings, equal allocation of resources, etc., the former price system changes

to a command system and it is no longer a free market.” Creating an enabling environment Alternatively, analysts from AgriSA share the standpoint that the government’s involvement should be in the form of incentives to cushion producers from effects of the current economic conditions. Professor Maré concurs with them entirely. He posits that the government should create an enabling economic climate to assist both producers and consumers of food. “While there should be no interference with the prices of agricultural inputs and outputs, the economic climate can be made more enabling through tax regulations. For example, one of the largest inflation drivers is the price of fuel. Taxes on fuel can be lowered to curb the effect of the fuel price on inflation.” The buck stops with farmers In the end, assuming sanity will prevail in the government’s approach, the buck stops with farmers themselves. Farmers should consider production in the short-term. This is because hefty increases in agricultural input have caused the point of optimal production to maximise profit or minimise lost to change. Thus, the new input and output prices should be considered in production economics to determine optimal output levels. In order to tackle this challenge, Professor Maré strongly recommends that farmers consult with a production economist to assist them to plan according to the new price scenario.

May - June 2022 | 27

FEATURE

CIMMYT turning mechinsation wheels for Zimbabwe farmers

new project aiming to climate-proof Zimbabwean farms through improved access to small-scale mechanisation to reduce labour bottlenecks has been launched. The Harnessing Appropriate-scale Farm Mechanisation in Zimbabwe (HAFIZ) is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and is led by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). According to CIMMYT, the project aligns with the Zimbabwean nationwide government sponsored programme Pfumvudza, which promotes agricultural practices based on the principles of conservation agriculture. “The initiative aims to increase agricultural productivity through minimum soil disturbance, a permanent soil cover, mulching and crop diversification,” CIMMYT said. “Over 18 months, the project will work with selected service providers to support mechanised solutions that are technically, environmentally and economically appropriate for use in smallholder settings. Speaking during the project launch, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture in Zimbabwe, John Basera, explained

the tenets of Pfumvudza which translates as “a new season. “A new season of adopting climate-smart technologies, conservation agriculture practices and increasing productivity. Simply put, Pfumvudza means a sustainable agricultural productivity scheme. “Pfumvudza was a big game-changer in Zimbabwe. We tripled productivity from 0.45 to 1.4 (metric tonnes) per hectare. Now the big challenge for all of us is to sustain and consolidate the growth, and this is where mechanization comes into place,” Basera said.

context and transfer the resultant learnings to South Africa. Conservation agriculture adoption offers multidimensional benefits to the farmers with significant yields and sustainability of their systems. The introduction of mechanization in systems using animals for draught reduces the livestock energy demand - energy that will contribute to increasing meat and milk production. While conservation agriculture and research alone cannot solve all the issues affecting agricultural productivity, awareness-raising is integral to help address these issues, and this is where small-scale mechanization comes in, says ACIAR crops research programme manager, Eric Huttner.

“This project is an opportunity for the smallholder farmer in Zimbabwe, who contributes to over 60% of the food in the country, to be able to produce more with less.”

“We learnt a lot from FACASI and a similar project in Bangladesh on the opportunities of appropriate small-scale mechanization as a tool towards sustainable intensification when adopted by farmers,” he explained.

The new initiative will work with selected farmers and service providers to identify farming systems most suitable for mechanization. It will also assist companies in targeting their investments as they test a range of technologies powered by smallengine machinery adapted to the Zimbabwe

“If we avoid the mistakes of the past, where largescale mechanisation efforts were invested in the wrong place and resulted in ineffective machines unusable for farmers, we can make a huge difference in increasing yields and reducing farm drudgery,” Huttner said.

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TECH

Future Farming: Sustainability & Health Meets AI In Time for Earth Day, Healthy Soil Biomes partners with StoryFile with the first ever five expert Conversational Video experience www.HealthySoilBiomes.cc now features a variety of resources to help users learn more about creating healthy soils and the benefits it creates, including the StoryFiles of HSB experts.

ealthy Soil Biomes (HSB) and StoryFile have launched an AI-powered conversational video experience with five experts to provide the public with engaging resources on how to create healthy farming methods. Just in time for Earth Day, these methods can help mitigate global issues like food/water scarcity and climate change. For the first time, StoryFile has networked multiple people’s StoryFiles and utilized its powerful AItool, Conversa, to let users have a conversation that can move between five Healthy Soil Biomes experts according to their area of expertise in areas such as bioreactors, farming, soil, and biodiversity. This revolutionary technology is the basis of Video 3.0, which allows for interactive asynchronous conversational video. Over 7,000 questions were asked of the Healthy Soil Biomes experts. The partnership with StoryFile, along with its redesigned website, will enhance HSB’s mission to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable agriculture methods by empowering user experience through curiosity-led discovery, exploration, navigation and ease-of-use. The StoryFiles feature Bruce Burnworth, Chief Empowerment Officer of Healthy Soil Biomes;

About StoryFile: StoryFile is making artificial intelligence more human. As the inventor of conversational video, the company was founded in 2017 in Los Angeles. Now the patent-protected technology it developed powers both the Conversa platform and a consumer version for home use, StoryFile Life. Conversational video allows users of all kinds to make deeper human connections whether it be for family history, commerce, customer service, education, or any collective human knowledge that needs to be shared. Conversa is the only SaaS solution that allows anyone to create and publish their own interactive conversational video content, and create the FAQ, the leave-behind, the chatbot, the explainer video, and more. With videos that talk back, StoryFile is revolutionizing the storytelling and communication industries. To learn more, visit StoryFile.com. Dr. Cindy Daley, Director of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems (CRARS) ; Dr. Tim LaSalle, Co-Founder of the CRARS ; Dr. David Johnson, Co-Creator of the Johnson-Su Bioreactor; and Soil Scientist Ray Archuleta. “StoryFile is a great way to tell the world our story about how healthy farm soil-soil with diverse microbial communities can make the world better,” said Burnworth. “Anyone with a smartphone can learn from our StoryFiles how healthy soil farm methods–no-till and multi-species cover crops – will take CO2 out of the air and put carbon deep in the ground where it helps plants thrive, increasing profits for farmers, and producing more nutritious food for our bodies.” StoryFile CEO Stephen Smith said, “StoryFile is thrilled to announce its partnership with Healthy Soil Biomes and help expand the reach of their absolutely urgent message just in time for Earth Day. We’re proud that the advance in our technology – the ability to not just let users have conversations with the Healthy Soil Biomes experts but to let the experts essentially interact with each other – is being rolled out for a partner that quite literally is trying to save the Earth.”

About Healthy Soil Biomes: Join the Healthy Soil Biomes Alliance to experience an extensive AI-powered digital conversation with Bruce Burnworth, Chief Empowerment Officer of Healthy Soil Biomes; Director of the CRARS, Dr. Cindy Daley; CoFounder of the CRARS Dr. Tim LaSalle, CoCreator of the Johnson-Su Bioreactor Dr.David Johnson, and Soil Scientist Ray Archuleta. This great technology provides users with resourceful information about the importance of soil health and the effect it has on farmers, consumers, our environment, and climate change. “Being an alliance member does not only provide great, resourceful information and updates to our alliances’ progress, but it will also allow members to receive soil savior points, which eventually will lead to discounts on merchandise.In the future we hope to further develop the Healthy Soil Biomes Alliance to be a platform where farmers around the world can connect and contact each other about their progress or discuss any management/ methodology questions. We hope farmers can build a stronger community to create positive change to their farms, livelihood, and our Earth! To learn more, visit http://www.healthysoilbiomes. cc.

May - June 2022 | 29

FEATURE

How rural Africa is achieving equitable and effective food system transformation

ood systems in Africa are transforming at a rapid rate. However, while it’s important to encourage and drive change, it’s also vital to ensure such transitions are inclusive, equitable and resilient. To highlight challenges, assess options, and discuss potential strategies for success for transforming food systems to be more inclusive and sustainable, actors from across the sector gathered to discuss. A variety of factors constrain those who are reliant on farming for their livelihoods – particularly smallholders, including women and youth – from stepping up or stepping in to agriculture (for example, moving into commercialisation), or are forcing them to step out of the sector altogether. For too long, smallholders have been categorised as highly risk-adverse, which has prevented larger actors from investing and working with them. Yet, this is a damaging misrepresentation, particularly as smallholders are now more engaged in agricultural commercialisation and demonstrate higher levels of market participation than previously thought. Despite this, it is larger companies and farmers that continue to be provided with greater access to resources and opportunities for growth – meaning they continue to lead the field in terms of resilience. A series of recent e-Dialogues convened by the Agricultural Policy Research in Africa (APRA) Programme of the Future Agricultures Consortium (FAC), the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and Foresight4Food (F4F), have highlighted four key areas required for effective and successful food system transformation. These are: inclusive commercial opportunities; greater potential for farmers for use their own produce to ensure personal food security; better social protection for the most vulnerable; and an enabling environment for farming households to diversify into off-farm sectors for additional income. Yet, while noting the importance of these factors, it is also crucial to understand how these actions can be implemented. As such the third discussion in the series focused on highlighting challenges, assessing options, and discussing potential strategies for success. Overlooking the small but mighty Whilst support is available for some smallholder farmers, typically in the form of financial handouts, these tend to be only a short-term measure. Yet it is long-term measures that are required for sustainable and lasting change – largely in the shape of policy reforms, or through “governments helping to create environments

30 | May - June 2022

that allow smallholder farmers to participate in markets,” suggested Fred Dzanku, APRA Ghana country lead. “There need to be changes to support inclusive food systems in a rural context,” stated Blessings Chinsinga, co-country lead for APRA Malawi and recently appointed Minister of Local Government. “Most currently aren’t inclusive, as policies and governance don’t take every actor into consideration.”

livelihood opportunities. Economic constraints, such as a lack of access to financial and advisory services, also prevent large numbers of women from investing in their farming operations (though intensification, specialisation or diversification) and engaging in commercialisation opportunities, both on- and off-farm.

However effective support measures do not entirely rest upon policy. Providing smallholder farmers with access to technology, along with better fertiliser options and improved seed, will also enable them to maximise their yields and allow for greater market participation and commercialisation.

Meanwhile, women are often not afforded opportunities to utilise new, productivityenhancing technologies, thanks to being viewed as ‘incapable’ – meaning they are left behind as men push forward and reap the benefits. “It’s about adapting technologies so they’re suitable for women,” noted Aida Isinika, APRA country lead for Tanzania. “People need to think about inclusivity, and providing women with access through different means, such as subsidies and credit facilities.”

Across the great gender divide Despite many smallholder farmers being women, there continues to be a significant gender gap within the agri-food sector, with men gaining from many commercial opportunities. While some women do engage successfully in different forms of commercial agriculture, existing policies and cultural norms continue to exclude or prevent them from fully participating and realising their potential. For example, when a husband dies, laws in some African countries dictate that women will lose the land overseen by the household – and this, in turn, greatly diminishes

To change the narrative about women’s capabilities and encourage greater gender equality, conversations need to occur at two levels. Firstly, within the household, where the balance of labour needs to be addressed and men need to be sensitised. “It’s important to strengthen women’s agency within household,” stated Loveness Msofi, researcher for APRA Malawi – adding that women themselves need to recognise their importance just as much as men. But shifts in attitudes also need to occur at a higher level, among government officials and other senior decision makers. For example,

Jayne, APRA Nigeria principal investigator and Foundation Professor Agricultural, Food and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, observed that the future looks positive, thanks to the younger generation. The number of people within Africa completing further education are at their highest ever levels – and these individuals will eventually step into positions of authority and make more informed and accountable decisions. “Education is a mega trend in the background that’s driving a lot of improvements,” he noted.

women should be afforded greater access to loans and subsidies, and policies reviewed so that their livelihood options are taken into greater consideration when a spouse dies. Women could also be provided with more opportunities to join women’s groups (as this enhances access to inputs and services) and included in technology training to broaden their skillsets. As Nalishebo Meebelo, Executive Director of the Regional Network of Agricultural Policy Research

Institutes (ReNAPRI), noted: “Africa needs to work on the issue of cultural tendencies. We are going to keep talking about inclusivity for a long time, unless we face the reality that our cultural tendencies are behind the practice of keeping women out of gainful activities in the agri-food system.” A brighter outlook While transformations within policy and societal attitudes may not occur overnight, Thomas

Dr Janet Edeme, acting director of the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture at the African Union Commission, added that APRA’s work is also a crucial actor in moving forward. “We need to look at how these [findings] can be ground in bigger conversations,” she stated. “Policy reforms at national level haven’t moved beyond current agenda – but APRA’s policy findings will really go a long way in changing this.” Ultimately, stated Meebelo, we need to remember: “We’re in the 21st Century and there’s room for everyone to operate. Africa needs to continue looking at the big picture and understand the potential that sits in front of us.”

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May - June 2022 | 31

NAMPO 2022

2022 NAMPO Harvest Day Interview

Grain Production in an Environment of a Myriad Challenges Dr Pieter Taljaard, the CEO of Grain South Africa (Grain SA) fields questions from FARMERS REVIEW AFRICA on the 2022 NAMPO Harvest Day and topical issues in world affairs that are having a bearing on local grain production

FRA: How significant is the 2022 NAMPO Harvest Day in the context of the impact of the Ukraine War on global grain production? Dr Taljaard: For clarity of context on the significance of 2022 NAMPO Harvest Day against the backdrop of the Ukraine War, allow me to take you back to the beginning of the pandemic at the outset? What we have learned from our experience with the pandemic, as well as the Ukraine War, is the importance of agriculture - local production in particular. Relating to the Ukraine War, this year there is most likely to be a global scarcity of wheat, which underscores the importance of increasing local wheat production capacity. Lastly, permit me to state something about ourselves which we tend to underestimate sometimes. In South Africa, we produce relatively affordable prices, very high quality and safe foods

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that pass international standards. We have to build on this strength, proudly and passionately. FRA: Are there changes that have been brought aboard to share with stakeholders regarding how they could cope with the impact of the Ukraine war on their operations? Dr Taljaard: It is inevitable that the War in Ukraine will affect local food production. This is given that both Ukraine and Russia are some of the world’s biggest exporters of fertiliser, but also in terms of specific agricultural commodities, especially grains and oilseeds. Fertiliser, specifically when one looks at grains, is the single biggest variable cost. Obviously, it varies from one farm to another, from one region to the other and one crop to the next. Nevertheless, overall, on average, it is the single biggest variable expense.

•

Increase in fertiliser prices and restricted supply of crop protection products Even before the Ukraine Crisis, we had seen an increase in fertilizer prices due to various effects, not only global supply chain disruptions, but also production facilities that have not been able to operate as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, increase in energy prices has exacerbated the situation, as the production process is very energy-intensive. Ideally, local fertilizer production should, to some degree, alleviate the impact of the war on the international supply chain. However, the reality is that it is also beset by transportation challenges (local transport costs) and other structural competitive challenges. Phosphate, for example, gets mined locally outside Pharaborwa, near Kruger National Park and is transported down to Richards Bay by rail, where it is

NAMPO 2022 processed into various forms. And from there, again, it must be transported again to various production areas countrywide. With Transnet’s transport infrastructure barely operating, as well as other road infrastructure challenges, the cost of transportation is excessive, contributing to the fact that we have amongst the third most expensive fertilizer globally (See BFAP reports for reference). All these factors together make a perfect storm of turbulent fertilizer costs. Above and beyond, this year we have seen very restricted supply of certain critical crop protection products, which are not available in volumes that could meet local demand – further increasing the variable production cost significantly. There are also three factors at play that have a strong bearing on food production, causing disruptions and increased cost in food value chains. It is noteworthy that grain production (the same would apply to other food products) is not immune to exposure to factors such as the fluctuating exchange rate (South African Rand against the US dollar), as well local political instability and natural disasters. Specifically, two issues come to mind, the unrest which started in Kwazulu Natal and spread to other provinces in July. This specifically lead to a sharp increase in transport related insurance (SASRIA) which ultimate gets billed to the final food consumer, i.e. food inflation. Also, recently, from the perspective of natural disasters, we have seen devastating floods resulting from above average rainfall during the previous winter and this summer season , which have caused significant damage to national infrastructure and farms in general. The actual cost of the recent damage is still being calculated but analysts estimate that it could be not less than twenty billion Rands. That is even a conservative estimate. • Call for efficiency On the whole, clearly, the burden is on producers themselves to be efficient in terms of what they do by practising different and improved cultivation methods that can save them fertilizer usage and other costs. What’s more, producers must ensure that every nutrient of fertilizer that is put in the soil is used efficiently. That is why NAMPO is very relevant, as it is a platform from which farmers can learn from each other and industry experts on best and improved methods they can apply – i.e. building those critical networks of knowledge, ideas and support. FRA: In your view, what measures do you suggest the government of South Africa can adopt to mitigate the effects of the scarcity and rising costs of inputs, as well as energy (diesel and electricity) on local grain production?

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Dr Taljaard: On providing and ensuring an enabling business environment . The most important part for the government to play is providing and ensuring an enabling environment for the people of the country to do business. • Roads and rail infrastructure Currently, the local production capacity is beset by some constraints. First, our transport system and infrastructure (rail and road) are relatively fragile (relatively is the operative word here and must emphasise). As a result, to a large extent, this affects the cost of production. Thus, in terms of transportation, we are not that competitive. It is barely credible to imagine what the situation would be if we (as a country, had to import all the food needed. It would be totally different, even worse. Road infrastructure such as, highways and main arteries, secondary and tertiary roads, is essential. Most critical currently are secondary and tertiary roads where the inputs and food produced gets transported that was damaged severely by the above average rainfall during the past season. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning that most critical to grain producers is rail infrastructure under state-owned enterprise, Transnet, which has been used to transport the bulk of agriculture inputs and products in the past. Lamentably, in the past twenty years, we have moved from transporting eighty percent of the grain by rail to below twenty percent. Presently, it is over eighty percent by road and less than twenty by rail. This has had a massive effect as typically, rail is more efficient and cost effective from two viewpoints. Firstly, it takes trucks off the road, and as a result roads don’t deteriorate prematurely. Additionally, from a cost-effective perspective for example, producers can save 150 Rands per tonne on transporting yellow maize by train from the Eastern parts of the Free State, where it is produced, to the port in Durban, where it is exported. Overall, if the government can fix the mess at Transnet and get the infrastructure working that could go a long way in alleviating the transportation challenges, ultimately reducing food inflation specifically and inflation in general as well. •

Reliable and affordable supply of electricity One of the most overlooked effects is erratic supply and high cost of electricity. Most concerning is Eskom’s inability to supply affordable and reliable electricity to big facilities in the grain value chain like processing plants and storage operators that are power-intensive. When load shedding occurs, it has a huge impact as they are forced to

shut down, incurring loss of efficiency (in critical times) which translates into reduced revenue and/ or valuable losses in terms of product quality. This is significantly different to what happens in a household when lights and refrigerators are not working, peak times are critical and back-up systems typically get multiplied by a factor of 10x. Undoubtedly, one of the areas where urgent intervention is needed is in generation of reliable and affordable (competitive) power. •

Forging private-public partnerships An avenue worth exploring is forging strong feasible private-public partnerships in areas such as new generation of electricity and management of crucial entities like Transnet. In the long run, this could ensure power supply to industry. •

Tackling corruption and increased accountability My view is that, to a large degree, most of the challenges we are facing are rooted in corruption. For this reason, I truly believe that, if we can tackle corruption, which results in billions being wasted, we can address these challenges. It’s commonly known and understood that the poorest of the poor, suffers the most as a result. An efficient administration can forestall frequent unrests that we have been experiencing in recent years. Unrest is symptomatic of administrative failure, mainly poor service delivery of public services. We need to be more accountable in public money being spent, specifically, in the current economic environment which calls for prudence in the management of the country’s overburdened revenue sources. There is so much industry (private sector) can do, but we must get government policies to work in this country. The challenge is not the policies but the implementation, which is, hopefully, an area we can address. FRA: What immediate interventions could be adopted to ensure food security? Dr Taljaard: At the outset, let me state that I support immediate interventions by the government. However, my take is that we need interventions that won’t beget unintended consequences. Some populist interventions in operations of a free market can backfire. The key aspect is that we need to let the FREE market operate itself, as business market forces dictate. As mentioned, Government needs to create and ensure an enabling environment for the private sector to thrive and spur economic growth – for all. However, it can only intervene as and when necessary, i.e., in the case of market failures for example.

As already stated, of course, the generation of reliable and affordable electricity, as well as robust transport infrastructure are urgent. And let me reiterate that the government must take a lead in this area. In general, trust needs to be restored, such that (the crucially needed) local investment can thrive. Finally, most importantly, another area where we need the government to be proactive is managing the causes and mitigating the effects of climate change. This area has a direct bearing on food production. The devastating floods in Kwazulu Natal have shown us that it is a reality. The absence of climate related crop insurance (as safety net) poses a significant challenge and threatens the long-term sustainability of competitive local food production. Climate change is not really statistics. It is physics at play, and the world has to buckle up. FRA: What particular opportunities do you see emerging for grain producers in South Africa from the adoption of technology? Dr Taljaard: As already mentioned with the fertilizer example, one of the biggest opportunities (but actually a must) readily available for local grain producers, I would call it ‘a low-hanging fruit’, is striving to be more globally competitive, more efficient. If they do everything right and keep adopting and improving, agricultural producers can offset the current challenges and become more profitable. • Adopting technology Adopting technology should be considered as one of the “must win” areas to be explored. Indeed, the initial cost of technology adopting may be significantly and high, hence producers need to be business savvy when “roaming” in this field. However, taking the long-term view, there are numerous advantages that help to cover costs and increase efficiencies. Where they find the cost prohibitive, producers can work together to share ownership of machinery. Specifically, when we look at the size of producers, big producers with surplus capacity can help small producers. This can help reduce losses and forge crucial small business collaboration and ventures. At the end of the day, the ball is entirely in the producers’ court to make the most at their disposal. • A passport system As Grain SA we are also playing our part in many aspects. We are collaborating with industry on a Passport System for grain producers for example. Using such a system, producers may in the future be able to verify or clarify or confirm the registration details of specific production inputs they want to use instantly in their planning process.

The onus is on farmers. They have to be openminded, take a long-term view on the value and benefits they can get. FRA: What is Grain SA’s role in increasing the capacity of grain production? Dr Taljaard: The key focus for Grain SA is helping producers – big and small (commercial, emerging, developing) remain sustainable and more profitable. One of the primary ways we do this is facilitating the building and maintenance of relationships in terms of the value chain from input suppliers, traders and processors and manufactures and obviously government. Some of the avenues where the whole value chain can benefit from includes opportunities generated from working (closer) together as a value chain, as well as risk-sharing for bigger businesses. Due to the size, bigger businesses can share some and have a appetite for risk. Constantly, stakeholders, through NAMPO, always seek answers to the following questions: How can we help producers to benefit? How can we put those ideas into creative and innovative business solutions? Through NAMPO, we aspire to be thoughtleaders and platform providers in new systems and ways of improving production. One of the elements we would like to explore is the system of outcomes-based input cost. The system could allow a supplier to price a product-based on the yield of the produce, as opposed to what they currently do these days per litre and tonne – i.e., sharing in the value chain risk. FRA: What else can you inform our readers (who are also your stakeholders) about NAMPO 2022?

Dr Taljaard: This year’s event is a milestone, considering it is returning after a two-year hiatus related to the COVID-19 hard lockdown. The ability to bounce back affirms that NAMPO 2022 is more relevant than ever. It has gone from strength to strength from humble beginnings. NAMPO was started in the late 1960s by three farmers as a forum where they realise the need to get together and look at demonstrations of agricultural machinery. It is a platform where relationships can be built and strengthened where discussions and idea(s)-exchange are happening. Also, stakeholders can discuss challenges and source new solutions from others. Someone can get a new idea on how to improve their business. Producers can get knowledge about new equipment and suppliers, in addition to innovative entrepreneurs developing new technologies. All in all, it is a valuable network, learning and sharing opportunity. Let me reiterate that producers have to view the myriad of challenges they are facing as an opportunity to embrace methods that will make their businesses more efficient and hence sustainable.

Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day, the biggest agricultural show in the Southern hemisphere, is, after a two-year hiatus, ready to present a showstopper outside Bothaville from 16-20 May 2022. For the first time in history - NAMPO will be presented over 5-days!

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NAMPO 2022

BMG to participate at Nampo 2022

BMG’s stand at Nampo 2022 (16 to 20 May 2022) will focus on the BMG online shopping platform that enables farmers to procure products they need electronically, from the comfort of their own homes

he Nampo show – which is the largest agricultural expo held in South Africa every year – is always an important event for BMG’s agricultural team. Both BMG’s stands at Nampo 2022 will focus on the convenience and efficiency of the BMG online shopping platform, which was launched two years ago and is continually advanced for improved accessibility to engineering and agricultural components. “Nampo will be the perfect forum to showcase the convenience for farmers of being able to procure products they need electronically, from the comfort of their own homes. BMG’s user-friendly digital shopping platform has been designed to boost the buying experience for our customers and feedback during the Covid-19 pandemic indicates a preference for online procurement, rather than face-to-face shopping,” explains Carlo Beukes, BMG’s agricultural manager. “BMG’s online 24-hour online shopping facility is safe and easy to navigate and allows farmers to browse the site, select the products they want and then click and collect from the nearest branch or through swift nationwide delivery. “Although this digital platform offers farmers new opportunities for doing business, online shopping is merely another channel and does not detract from the technical support and personal care that the BMG teams are well known for. This facility adds value to our service offering and makes shopping for engineering components even more convenient for the agricultural community.” Over 75 000 BMG products are available on this platform, including bearings, seals, fasteners and power transmission components, as well hand and power tools, abrasives, brushware, spanners, wrenches and sockets. Added to this are agricultural-specific components,

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including PTO shafts. Nampo 2022 is also the perfect opportunity for the agricultural team to emphasise the importance of BMG’s Boer Slim/ Smart Farming. This programme highlights the significance of the investment in quality equipment and replacement parts, rather than ‘inferior components, to achieve high efficiencies and optimum productivity in all sectors of agriculture. Through Boer Slim/Smart Farming, BMG assists farmers to embrace advancements in agricultural machinery. Farming-sustainability solutions focus on effective food production, the correct use of suitable equipment for specific tasks and the efficient application of the latest technologies. BMG launches new products continually, to keep abreast with advanced global agricultural trends and to ensure the local market has access to the latest equipment. New to the range are BTC Lemken harrow discs and hub bearing units, that conform with OEM quality specifications. The company has also launched the Liqui Moly Guntec range, bakkie oil and fuel additives, as well as new solar panel operated Variable Speed Drive (VSD) units that will be on display. Also on show will be a wide range of BMG’s agricultural products, including bearings and seals, power transmission components, light industry conveyors, tools and fasteners, hydraulics and fluid technology, as well as all electronics equipment. What’s new for BMG at Nampo this year, is an outside stand where working demonstrations displays will take place. Product Specialists will focus on interacting with end-users, displaying the company’s product portfolio and engineering capabilities. There will also be active conveyor systems in operation – these are specifically designed for fruit packhouses.

NAMPO 2022

SKF to showcase rugged Agri-solutions for every stage of the crop cycle at NAMPO 2022 (16 - 20 May)

KF’s bearings, bushings, hub units, chains, belts, seals and lubrication systems are renowned for their premium quality, reliability and efficiency. It therefore comes as no surprise that these components are extremely popular with South Africa’s agricultural industry and are widely used by farmers on Combines, Planters, Tractors and various agricultural attachments. “Our turnkey Agri-solutions, complemented by customer-specific solutions from our quality brands, SKF and PEER, add value to every stage of the crop cycle, from tillage, seeding and fertilizing/spraying to harvesting, mowing and baling,” states Charl Engelbrecht (Key Accounts Manager Agriculture). “The world-class quality and robustness of our products contribute to optimal and reliable machine and equipment performance, enabling farmers to sustainably maintain high production in less time to ultimately achieve profitable yields and successful business outcomes. Moreover, our products are specially designed to have a positive impact on the environment.” Irrespective of the biome, the agricultural environment is unforgiving on machines and attachments. Added to this, farmers have limited seasonal windows in which to complete their crop cycles. Subsequently, field breakdowns are simply not an option as this can result in catastrophic production losses and exorbitant costs. To ensure dependable performance and prolonged life cycles, all SKF and PEER products undergo rigorous testing to make sure that they are able to withstand stringent field conditions such as heavy vibration, temperature extremes and ingress of contaminants such as water, mud, dust, fibres and plant material. Agricultural customers are also under mounting pressure to increase yields to meet demand, while keeping input costs to an absolute minimum in order to remain profitable. They subsequently look to OEMs for equipment that delivers evergreater reliability, prolonged lifecycle, efficiency and performance. “We work in close collaboration with the agricultural OEMs and their engineers to help develop and supply complete systems,” affirms Engelbrecht. “Ensuring that our products are fully compatible with OEM machines promotes high quality, cost-effective solutions that deliver low total cost of ownership and a rapid return on investment.”

SKF’s wide range of bearings, including Explorer roller and ball bearings, insert bearings, plain bearings and bushings, are specially developed to handle aggressive agricultural conditions. The SKF Explorer range, recommended for tractors, offer multiple features that deliver more uptime for these essential agricultural workhorses. Offering optimised internal geometry for reduced friction, wear and heat generation, these tapered roller bearings accommodate higher load levels (up to 23% increased dynamic load ratings). These extremely robust bearings deliver extended service life, resist contamination and offer long service intervals. “We supply bearings for the full range of agricultural attachments used for seeding including opener and closing discs as well as for gauge, press and implement wheels, seedmeter drive shafts and row markers,” continues Engelbrecht. “Our flanged insert bearing units are widely used on rolling baskets for independent tillage and gang discs.” He adds that one of the most commonly used gang disc bearing arrangements is the trunnion housing. The PEER Tillage Trunnion Unit (TTU) delivers countless benefits including increased productivity and bearing life. SKF solutions for combine harvester applications, such as baling and mowing comprise a range of radial ball and roller bearings as well as agricultural insert bearing units that incorporate a relubrication-free design and a high performance sealing solution. “In addition to increased service life and reduced maintenance and ownership costs, our insert units, which are quick and easy to mount for enhanced uptime, keep grease from contaminating the yield,” notes Engelbrecht. Years of SKF R&D as well as rigorous testing in both the laboratory and in the field have

shown that advanced sealing technology can significantly increase machine and equipment performance. SKF’s range of bearing seals delivers heavy-duty sealing performance on a great variety of agricultural attachments. “We have designed these application-specific agricultural products specifically to reduce the need for relubrication and simplify installation, saving valuable hours needed for field work,” explains Engelbrecht. “Furthermore, our seal designs eliminate the need for grease purge thus ensuring a positive impact on the environment. Our bearing seal types include Single lip, two to 7 lip, Cassette, double Cassette, SKF Mudblock and SKF Mudblock11 plus Cassette.” SKF Agri Hubs have been specially engineered to boost farm productivity and profitability through increased performance and improved machine up-time while minimising the impact on the environment. These remarkable greased-forlife hub bearing units, which are widely used on disc ploughs, fertiliser injector discs, opener and closing seeding discs, etc., do not require relubrication. In addition to saving farmers valuable time and lubrication costs, these grease-free units prevent land contamination. Engelbrecht explains that the SKF Agri Hub’s advanced hermetic sealing solution ensures that no lubricant loss will occur over the complete lifespan of this virtually maintenance free, plugand-play unit. The cutting-edge ‘mud block’ seal and special labyrinth, which is central to the sealing principle, achieves excellent sealing performance providing dynamic sealing against stone, mud and dust ingress. A special cup and O-ring system provides the static sealing of the disc side in the unit, making it impervious to contaminant ingress. “As a valuable partner to the South African agriculture industry, we provide our agricultural customers with solid hands-on support through our professional and dedicated after-sales service solutions,” says Engelbrecht. “We invite NAMPO visitors to our stand (#121) in the NAMPO hall to come and explore our range of Agri solutions and obtain sound advice from our skilled technicians,” concludes Engelbrecht.

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NAMPO 2022

Seed of an idea yields crops and jobs through perseverance and grace In February this year, Fourie received her Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) certification, something she says is “difficult and expensive to get”. Retailers and buyers globally trust GFSI-recognised certification as a mark of the highest standards in food safety, allowing food enterprises that hold these certificates to access all corners of the worldwide market.

By Libby Peacock

ighteen years ago, Anja Fourie from the farm Driefontein in the Free State had an idea to start growing tomatoes to supplement her income. Despite many obstacles, that humble venture has flowered into a thriving small business – and created 18 jobs in a remote part of the country with extreme poverty and unemployment levels.

She is looking forward to exhibiting all her products at Grain SA’s NAMPO Harvest Day agricultural exhibition in Bothaville from 16 to 20 May 2022.

“When I started, I knew nothing about tomatoes,” says Fourie. The idea for Timeless Tomatoes came during a time of introspection and prayer. “I didn’t just want to be a farmer’s wife; I wanted to make a difference. Then the tomatoes crossed my path.” She was the first person to grow this particular crop in an area of the province dominated by sheep farming and the challenges were many, including a lack of capital; soil imbalances and dying plants; and – because of the farm’s isolated location – a lack of access to industry experts. “I literally started with just a savings account – getting financing was very difficult,” Fourie recalls. But she persevered and, from starting off on a small patch of land with three drying racks, she now has 48 racks covering about two hectares. Today, Timeless Tomatoes produces 120 tonnes to 150 tonnes of high-quality tomatoes a year. Timeless Tomatoes was recently selected as one of three deserving small businesses to be supported in the second phase of insurer Hollard’s Big Ads for Small Business campaign to enable better futures through boosting small, medium and micro-enterprises. Hollard is sharing commercial airtime worth R1-million with each of these enterprises on DStv channels, and providing digital media exposure across multiple platforms. Products and progress Early on in her venture, Fourie decided to produce tomato products alongside the fresh produce. “I started making jam and chutney in my kitchen – with just one pot,” she recalls. Two years ago, she finally had the means to have a small factory built on the farm. Here, about 10% of the annual crop is processed, either as sundried tomatoes, or as tomato chutneys, jams, salad dressing and pesto. In 2013 and 2014, the Department of Trade and Industry invited Fourie on trade tours to India and

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Anja Fourie owner of Timeless Tomatoes

the Netherlands. In 2018, she received a grant from the Small Enterprise Development Agency that enabled her to buy much-needed equipment (she had been improvising for years). Fourie has won a number of awards, including the International Labour Organization (ILO) EnterPRIZE Job Creation Challenge Best Agribusiness in the Free State 2013 and the ILO’s Best Established Business in the Free State 2014. With the prize money, she built a house on the farm for her workers. She was also able to improve her cooling facilities and put up a structure for the sun-dried tomatoes. Creating jobs and sharing knowledge and skills are important to Fourie. “Our workers come from the Bethulie, Venterstad and Burgersdorp areas, where people are very poor. With our male farmworkers having the opportunity to learn all the processes and skills, from planting and harvesting to sorting and packing the tomatoes, I also wanted to empower women by upskilling them.” She now has four women employees working with her in the processing factory, and enjoys transferring her jam- and chutney-making techniques to them. “All our employees are young people between 20 and 35,” she notes. Over the past 15 years, she has also supported a local woman in running her own tomato microenterprise in her community. “Everything I have is through God’s grace. If I can improve someone else’s life, or teach something to someone, I have achieved my goal,” she says.

Breaking through the barriers There are many barriers for small businesses in South Africa, says Fourie. “If I knew at the beginning what I know now, I would never have started. Products must be tested. Labels must comply with set standards, and there are issues around barcodes. Often, I feel that once I’ve climbed one hill, the next mountain looms in front of me.” These days, her husband Frans largely handles the fresh tomatoes side of things, while she’s in charge of the processed products, which are now available across the country thanks to online ordering and courier services. Her dream is for Timeless Tomatoes to become a well-known brand across South Africa. “I believe if an opportunity comes your way, you must grab it,” she says. “I see my business as more than just tomatoes. It’s also about growing as a person, learning new things and meeting new people. Her advice to other entrepreneurs? “Just start. Nothing will come from having an idea and not acting on it. But start small. Learn from the experts, and make sure you have a unique selling point.” Her sundried tomatoes, for example, are differentiated from others on the South African market in that they are sliced in large discs rather than halved. “You have to have a dream,” adds Fourie, “and you need to pursue it.” * Read more about Timeless Tomatoes here: https://timelesstomatoes.com/. Follow its Facebook page here: https:// www.facebook.com/TimelessTomatoes/. Find out more about the Big Ads for Small Business campaign: https://www. hollard.co.za/bigads

FEATURE

Mali’s Fonio Exports to rise through $1.9M USG investment USAID / Prosper Africa co-investment grant to Yolélé and Mali Shi SA will improve smallholder value chains and create 13,700 jobs in Mali crops through efficient processing. The Prosper Africa-supported project is expected to create 13,714 agricultural jobs in Mali, and $4.5 million in collective smallholder sales in the next 2 years. “Efficient processing has always been the missing link preventing farmers from earning livelihoods from fonio,” says Pierre Thiam, co-founder of Yolélé. “Fonio is easy for smallholders to grow, but turning it into food is hard! We devoted a lot of resources to find a technical solution to industrialscale processing, and a strong local partner at the source. SAF can deliver Global Food Safety Initiative-compliant fonio, millet, and sorghum for flexible applications to major food manufacturers. That changes the landscape in terms of farmers’ incomes and traceable impact at scale.” Chef Pierre Thiam, founder of Yolélé, shows off snacks made from fonio that will make their way into more U.S. homes through Yolélé and Mali Shi’s partnership with the Trade Hub, made possible through Prosper Africa funding.

he ancient grain fonio has been grown as a subsistence crop in West Africa for over 5,000 years. A new venture in Mali called Sustainable African Foods (SAF) is turning fonio into a cash crop to provide a sustainable source of income for farmers in the Sahel region, one of the world’s most vulnerable areas. SAF is an agro-processing operation being built by two companies: Yolélé, Chef Pierre Thiam’s U.S.-based West African food company, and Mali Shi SA, Mali’s leading shea butter manufacturer with a supply network of over 23,000 West African smallholder farmers, most of them women. A coinvestment grant of $1.9 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) West Africa Trade & Investment Hub (Trade Hub) will be leveraged by Yolélé/Mali Shi SA to make the companies’ venture possible. The funding comes directly from Prosper Africa, a U.S. Government initiative that is increasing two-way trade between the United States and Africa. • Fonio is a drought-tolerant, gluten-free, nutritional powerhouse that can be used like any other grain. Since 2017, Yolélé has been sharing the ancient West African grain in the United States and is now expanding internationally. • Prosper Africa’s $1.9 million co-investment grant, coordinated through the USAID Trade Hub, supports Yolélé/Mali Shi SA’s plans for U.S. market development and

•

promotion, supply chain development, and the establishment of a new Mali-based processing center. As part of its co-investment partnership with the USAID Trade Hub, Yolélé/Mali Shi will leverage an additional $11.6 million from private sources to ensure SAF’s success. SAF addresses 11 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, including (1) No Poverty (2) Zero Hunger, and (9) Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.

Through SAF, Yolélé/Mali Shi will build a supply chain that traceably connects smallholder farmers living in extreme poverty with local and global markets for biodiverse, climate-resilient

The success of the project will be key to Yolélé earning $10 million in sales by the end of its 2.5-year USAID Trade Hub co-investment partnership, driven by expanded distribution for its snacks as well as other fonio-based products in retail, foodservice, and industrial channels. At the end of the partnership, farmers within Yolélé/Mali Shi’s grower network will be earning a sustainable income from fonio sales to supplement their other farming activities, increasing the family’s cash income by an estimated 85 percent. “Providing multiple sources of income for the farmers in our growing network has a huge impact on family life and rural landscape,” said Simballa Sylla, the CEO of Mali Shi. “It makes financial sense for farmers to engage in sustainable, biodiverse, multi-crop rotations only if they have customers for their harvests. SAF is that customer, an element that has been missing for smallholders in the Sahel.” The Trade Hub’s co-investment partnership with Yolélé/Mali Shi marks its first in Mali.

A woman in the town of Douentza (Mopti region) inspects a fonio plant to determine its readiness for harvesting. She participated in a training on alternative agronomic practices.

“Mali is ripe with opportunities to support economic growth through private investment, create long-term jobs for smallholder farmers, and increase exports of products such as fonio to the United States,” says Frantz Tavares, PublicPrivate Partnership Manager for the USAID Trade Hub. “I expect our project with Yolélé/Mali Shi will prove this and encourage more investment into Mali’s high-potential businesses.”

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FEATURE

TOMRA potato sorting machines

Effective Sorting, Increased Profitability TOMRA’s optical sorting technologies are just the thing for both potato growers and potato processors who are in pursuit of getting more value from their products in the current environment. For potato growers, optical sorting machines enhance food safety by performing the following tasks: removing foreign materials; delivering consistent product quality; minimising waste; and optimising throughput rates. On the other hand, for potato processors, sorters are able to achieve the following: accurately grade to specification; minimise false rejects and increase recovery rates to reduce waste; handle high throughputs; manage peaks in demand; reduce the need for manual interventions on the line and line downtime; and reduce the line’s total cost of ownership.

he war in Ukraine has caused global food shortages, as a result of supply chain disruptions. While their input costs have skyrocketed, discerning food producers should view this as an opportunity and not a challenge. They can seize the opportunity to invest in methods that can enable them to improve the quality of their products. This is because, given the low supply of food, prices have gone up and the surefire way through which farmers and food

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processing businesses can earn more revenue is through improving the quality of their output. The rule of the thumb is: The higher the quality, the more the value. Improving the quality of the food products involves a number of painstaking processes. One of them is within grasp is improving sorting by using effective technologies.

Sensor-based sorting technologies One of the world’s leading manufacturers and providers of sorting food sorting technologies, TOMRA is calling on potato growers and packers about adopting its flagship sensor-based technologies for their sorting requirements. For growers that also handle packing and processing in-house, the company offers solutions for a wide variety of potato products, fresh-packed and frozen. The solutions cover tasks ranging from

FEATURE potatoes just taken out of the ground or storage to fresh pack, chips (crisps), French Fries, other potato specialties (such as wedges, slices, and hash browns), and dehydrated flakes and granules. Wide range of sensor-based sorters TOMRA’s wide range of sensor-based sorting machines are particularly engineered to address challenges encountered in the contemporary food industry. Two amongst them have become the reference point for sensor-based sorting technologies are the TOMRA 3A and the TOMRA 5A. The TOMRA 3A, the sorting machine most used by potato growers, uses high-resolution cameras and near-infrared (NIR). The TOMRA 5A, specifically designed for potato processors, uses a combination of pulsed LED, camera, and NIR, performing targeted spectroscopy with 1mm precision. In this context, reference to Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and electromagnetic radiation as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Vast array of capabilities Norman Smith, Area Sales Manager for Africa at TOMRA Food, states that the two sensor-based sorters demonstrate extraordinary capabilities in a wide range of sorting applications in demanding tasks in potato production.

The TOMRA 3A identifies zero-value green potatoes and distinguishes between organic matter (the crop) and inorganic matter (foreign materials). “The TOMRA 3A is able to identify good crops which might otherwise be mistaken for a soil clod because it is heavily coated in soil. Because of the time pressures of short harvesting seasons, this machine is designed to work at high capacity, often working at storage sheds at a rate of 100 tons per hour. As growers may store potatoes at more than one location, this machine is designed to be moved easily from shed to shed,” Smith explains.

For both potato growers and potato processors, there are guaranteed gains when the sensor-based sorting machines are used in recommended applications.

The TOMRA 5A can be set to precisely alter the accept/reject levels for subtle defects, discolorations, and blemishes in the potatoes, and product size and shape. “The TOMRA 5A is noted for its superior removal of foreign materials, with a 98% removal rate and highly efficient detection of rotten potatoes and potatoes with defects. The TOMRA 5A can also recuperate lesser-quality potatoes for sale as lower-grade products, minimising waste and improving profitability,” Smith points out.

For potato processors, sorters are able to achieve the following: accurately grade to specification; minimise false rejects and increase recovery rates to reduce waste; handle high throughputs; manage peaks in demand; reduce the need for manual interventions on the line and line downtime; and reduce the line’s total cost of ownership. Ultimately, the end result is improved efficiency and profitability, as well as protection against the risk of product recalls and reputational damage.

In a nutshell, through meticulous engineering, the sorters are equipped with the features that allow for capabilities for both growers and processors. For the former, it is foreign material and defect detection and removal; the latter, there are different features for different types of potato product - for example Sort-to-Length for French fries.

Long-term view In these tough economic times, price is regarded as the main factor in decision making. However, Smith tells grain producers to take a long-term view when considering investment in seed sorting beyond the initial high cost. “Sorters are an investment that pay back very well. By increasing throughputs, improving yields, and reducing

For potato growers, optical sorting machines enhance food safety by performing the following tasks: removing foreign materials; delivering consistent product quality; minimising waste; and optimising throughput rates. This makes daily operations easier and improves efficiency and profitability. Optical sorters are also critical to diminishing the dependence on manual labor.

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FEATURE

Customer confirm the efficacy of TOMRA’s sorters Information from customers’ experience based on using TOMRA’s sensor-based sorters has proved the efficacy of TOMRA sorting machines. This is mainly potato growers and processors around the world who are very satisfied with TOMRA’s sorting solutions. Amongst numerous others are Gumz Farms of Wisconsin, USA, which is a potato grower and packer, and Flandre Pomme de Terre in France, a family-run grower and packer. These two businesses have both successfully developed their businesses using TOMRA sorters. New solutions in sensor-based sorting technologies waste, they increase profitability. In addition, by safeguarding food safety, they protect the most valuable of all business assets, reputation. Small wonder, many growers and packers around the world have invested in optical sorters after seeing the bigger picture.” Wise choice prior to purchasing While the effectiveness of sensor-based sorting technologies has been proved beyond doubt, it is important for potato growers and processors to do their homework before rushing into purchasing. Hasty decisions can result in an irretrievable loss of capital. In view of this, TOMRA consistently emphasises the importance of exhaustively gathering information on the sensor-based sorters they may be interested in. “Choose wisely by asking lots of questions and asking to see proof of capabilities. Don’t make a purchasing decision solely based on price. It’s crucial to also remember how well the machine will perform and pay back on the investment you made in it. This is over and above the following: the level of equipment training, customer support, and servicing that you are likely to receive; on the equipment’s reliability, and on total cost of ownership,” Smith says. TOMRA bends over backwards to help the customer make a wise decision. Its approach is informed by the belief that a very powerful way of convincing potato growers and packers of the huge benefits of using sorting machines is practical demonstration. “We show clients machines in action and let them see the results with their own eyes. We arrange machine demonstrations which can be viewed in person or remotely online. These demonstrations can use infeed materials supplied by the potential customer or materials very similar to those the customer deals with. The results of these tests

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are precisely quantified and never fail to impress customers,” Smith elaborates. Besides, growers and packers are convinced of the merits of sorting machines when they talk to other businesses that use them. These businesses quickly come to appreciate the operational and commercial benefits of using optical sorting machines. Thanks to its prominent market position, TOMRA can proudly count on manifold farmers as testimonials of the superior performance of TOMRA 3A and TOMRA 5A. TOMRA prides itself on providing world-class expertise with local customer support. Its office in Johannesburg acts as a local service hub, with prompt supply of spare parts and local service engineers available to support customers in southern Africa.

TOMRA is constantly developing new machines or upgrading existing machines to keep abreast of clients’ needs. Recently, it released TTOMRA 3A and TOMRA 5B, in addition to TOMRA Insight, the web-based data platform. The TOMRA 3A and TOMRA 5B offer the best of both worlds: state-of-theart technologies which are well-proven. TOMRA Insight, the web-based data platform, is fairly new, and will be of interest to potato processors. It gathers data in near real-time and stores this securely in the cloud so that it can be accessed from anywhere via web-based desktop and mobile devices. Because TOMRA Insight continuously measures the quality of the processing line’s material stream, operators can make prompt adjustments to machine settings in response to changes in material composition on the line. Additionally, as TOMRA Insight provides deep-dive data that wasn’t previously accessible, managers can now make operational and business decisions based on more complete information.

PRODUCT

New Developments in Bobcat Dealer Network in Africa

obcat has announced a number of new developments in the company’s Authorised Dealer network in Africa, with new appointments and other changes across the continent. New Authorised Dealers in Zimbabwe and Sudan As part of changes in the countries bordering South Africa, Bobcat has confirmed the appointment of Harare-based Machinery Exchange as the new Bobcat Authorised Dealer for Zimbabwe, effective 1st January 2022. Bobcat is aiming to make further dealer announcements in the near future for Botswana, Namibia and Zambia.

dealers in place to meet the local demand in these countries.”

because it is multifunctional, covering agriculture, construction, earthmoving and mining.”

Commenting on the company’s new appointment, Antony Dube, National Sales and Rental Manager at Machinery Exchange, said: “Bobcat’s product range is diverse and provides customers with versatility on their job sites. With the Bobcat brand, Machinery Exchange aims to be a market leader in the backhoe and skid-steer loader markets in Zimbabwe. The most important Bobcat product in Zimbabwe is the backhoe loader

Mohamed El Badri, CEO of Albadri Power Co. Ltd, said: “We are honoured to represent Bobcat in Sudan, this partnership will surely add a huge value to the company with Bobcat being the global market leader for the compact equipment industry. We believe customer service is the tip of the spear in the sales process. So we have heavily invested in the aftersales service department as the highest priority for our business. We have

In response to the opening up of the market in Sudan, Bobcat has also appointed Khartoumbased Albadri Power Co. Ltd as the company’s new Authorised Dealer for the country, again effective from !st January 2022. Nicolas Dumont, District Sales Manager - Africa for Doosan Bobcat EMEA, said: “We have changed the way we operate in Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Zambia and Machinery Exchange is the first announcement we are making in this respect, with more to follow. With Sudan being removed from sanctions lists, this opened the door to a new market for Bobcat, which is now the responsibility of Albadri Power Co. Ltd. Both appointments provide us with strong

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PRODUCT

also sited maintenance teams in different regions of Sudan, to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction.” Successful First Year for New Authorised Dealer in Gabon At the end of 2020, Bobcat appointed Sodim TP, with headquarters in Libreville, as the new Authorised Dealer in Gabon. Sodim TP is a major player in construction equipment, trucks and in the automotive sector in Gabon. Nicolas Dumont added: “We are delighted with the impact Sodim TP has made as the new Authorised Dealer in Gabon. After only one year in the role, Sodim TP has succeeded in repositioning Bobcat as the market leader in compact equipment in Gabon, with a market share of over 20% in 2021.”

Julien Canh, Director General of Sodim TP, commented: “Sodim TP is a leading company in Gabon, specializing in public works equipment, mining machinery and forestry machinery. With Bobcat, Sodim TP has had the opportunity to expand its range and thus offer its customers compact construction machinery for the first time. We aim to continue to be Number 1 in the compact segment. One new market for us is in the cleaning sector in large cities. We have already delivered the first sweepers intended for cleaning the streets and sidewalks of our capital, Libreville.” Reactivating Existing Dealers Bobcat has also reactivated the following dealers: Rock Plant, with offices in Nairobi, Dar Es Salaam and Kampala serving Kenya, Tanzania

and Uganda, respectively; Douala-based Speed Appro for Cameroon; Chanic, with branches in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tunis-based CME for Tunisia. Typical of the excitement shared by the reactivated dealers is Pritpal Roopra, Managing Director of Rock Plant, who commented: “With Bobcat we have an additional utility line and thereby an increased customer base, especially in the compact construction sector. We were appointed just before the pandemic, but even with the problems caused by Covid, the fact that Bobcat machines are known worldwide for their excellent reputation, it has not proved difficult to promote the line to our existing clientele. We are also not new to Bobcat, in the past having worked on Bobcat machines for our existing customers using the highly trained team in our workshops. For any additional information/training we have relied on Teams and Zoom sessions like the rest of the world during the pandemic.” Nicolas Dumont continued: “With all these changes, the Bobcat network for Africa now comprises 19 dealers, officially covering 22 countries. Algeria remains a top priority and we are actively working behind the scenes and making ourselves ready to re-enter this market with a leading Algerian company. “As mentioned above, we will be making further announcements in Southern Africa, where we are exploring our options with high potential especially in the Backhoe Loader segment. West Africa is another area full of potential with the mining sector on one hand, and many

44 | May - June 2022

infrastructure projects in the area on the other. We are in advanced talks with companies offering a multi-country presence in this part of Africa.” Impact of Covid-19 and Supply Chain Issues Like in most parts of the world, Covid-19 impacted demand in Africa, with the industry declining by 23.6% in 2020. However, with all the efforts made to reactivate various dealers and to enter new markets, Bobcat sales were less affected and even though sales volumes declined slightly,

Bobcat managed to grow its market share in 2020. Bobcat spent much of 2021 dealing with supply chain issues caused by logistics problems worldwide, including the lack of containers and fewer ships visiting Africa, but the situation continues to stabilise. On top of developing the dealer network in Africa, Bobcat has also added many new products over the last two years as part of the company’s Next is Now programme, including Backhoe Loaders, Small Articulated Loaders and Light Compaction.

Backhoe loaders, in particular, are in high demand in the region, as they account for 67% of the compact industry in Africa. Nicolas Dumont commented: “We closed 2021 with a record number of orders for Africa and this, combined with the ongoing development of the dealer network, provides us with plenty of optimism for further growth in the African market in the coming years.”

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PRODUCT

Acclaim for Case IH’s accomplished tractors in Uganda Case IH and Agriserv, Uganda’s distributor for CASE IH tractors and combines, proudly display their popular JXT and Magnum tractors in Kampala, Uganda | The tractors get special attention from the national minister of agriculture | Advanced engines and excellent features enhance the reputation of these imposing machines.

ase IH’s striking tractors stole the show at the annual and foremost agricultural event in the country – the Harvest Money Expo agricultural exhibition at the Kololo Independence Grounds in the Ugandan capital of Kampala. The tractors on show at the Agriserv exhibition stall, including the renowned JXT75 and Magnum 250, generated much interest from over 35,000 visitors in attendance during the three-day show in March 2022. Several leading farmers and government officials visited the strategically wellplaced stall, including the Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Frank Tumwebaze, who took great pleasure in starting up and driving one of the JXT75 models. The impressive JXT75 delivers 75hp (56 kW) engine power and is the flagship model of the JXT series, which has a legendary reputation as a reliable and economical workhorse. These models are perfect for small farms, yet robust enough to use as utility tractors in any farming business. Boasting outstanding power, speed, lift capacity and pulling strength, these tractors

46 | May - June 2022

far exceed most farmers’ expectations while maintaining high fuel efficiency. The JXT75 delivers high engine backup torque and can deal effortlessly with sudden loads at constant engine revolutions. They deliver more power in the working range with a lower drop in revs per minute (rpm). JXT tractors are designed to run a variety of implements, and their hydraulic system handles them all with ease. These machines adjust the height of implements according to the soil and the requirements of the application based on 24 sensing positions. The Lift-O-Matic™ rear linkage control with height limiter ensures the accurate setting of implement lift height. The standard three-point hitch has a lift capacity of 1,500 kg and the optional Assisted Ram feature provides extra lifting capacity of up to 2,000 kg on the JXT75. The tractor’s wide platform provides ample space for the operator. The ergonomic layout puts all

the controls within perfect reach, including a side power take-off (PTO) lever. This, together with the side shift gear levers and the excellent visibility, results in comfortable and productive operation. According to Jim Middleton, Agriserv’s managing director, the Case IH tractors on display, not only garnered lively interest but also numerous enquiries. “Case IH tractors and equipment, including combine harvesters, are held in high regard in Uganda. The JXT series enjoys a great reputation for its versatility and all-round ability and the JXT75 offers a proficient and powerful machine for virtually any task on the farm, making it a desirable choice among local farmers,” he said. For more information about the JXT75 tractor, or any Case IH machinery to suit your operation, contact your local authorised Case IH dealer or visit www.caseih.com.

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FEATURE

UFS wheat rust specialist contributes to paper in Nature Genetics

rof Willem Boshoff, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS), is one of the authors of an article: ‘Long-read genome sequencing of bread wheat facilitates disease resistance gene cloning’, which was recently published in the prestigious science publication, Nature Genetics. This work, which resulted from a research project funded by KAUST in Saudi Arabia, also includes – apart from Prof Boshoff – the collaboration of Prof Simon Krattinger’s group at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and locally Dr Renée Prins and her team at CenGen. Prof Boshoff says in this paper that they reported on the first genome sequence for a South African wheat (cultivar Kariega) and the successful cloning of the Yr27 stripe rust resistance gene. According to him, the interest in better understanding the stripe rust resistance of Kariega resulted from the almost immune field response of this cultivar to local races of the pathogen since the first appearance of the disease on wheat in South Africa (SA) during the 1996 season. “The Yr27 resistance gene is one of three stripe rust resistance sources present in Kariega,

and the second to be cloned. Cloning the Yr27 revealed the exact position of the gene in the roughly 14 700 000 000 base pairs that constitute the Kariega genome and facilitate the more efficient deployment of the gene in future gene stacks,” he says. Food security He states that the sequencing of Kariega, which has been the bread-baking quality standard in South Africa for many years, not only contributes to our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of its long-lasting stripe rust resistance, but also allows further research opportunities to unravel the genetics behind the unique and superior bread-making characteristics of this cultivar. This work is yet another step towards ensuring Zero Hunger, Goal 2 of the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. Prof Boshoff, who has extensively studied rust pathogens occurring on small grain crops in South Africa, says growing crops with genetic resistance to diseases of economic importance contributes to the lower risk of epidemic outbreaks, as well as lower input costs as producers become less reliant on chemical control. The research is in support of sustainable wheat production,

ensuring the continuous availability of essential food sources such as bread. Sharing results Throughout his career of the past 27 years, data from his work has been shared regularly with producers as part of an early warning system against rust pathogens, which allowed them to optimise their control strategies. “My research did facilitate the identification, characterisation, and use of germplasm with rust resistance from local and international breeding programmes, which have subsequently been exploited in local studies and breeding to improve our cultivars,” says Prof Boshoff. When asked about his plans for the next two years, Prof Boshoff says he wants to continue to be relevant in this field. “I strongly believe in teamwork to grow research capacity and efficiency and will continue to seek new opportunities and foster the many collaborative projects that I am involved in,” he concludes.

There is no reason to be caught unawares by blight

revention is better than cure. That is an old saying, which remains relevant today, especially when it comes to diseases on potatoes. It is for this reason, that emphasis is placed on the preventative control of diseases.

prices remaining relatively constant. In the current conditions, unnecessary applications of fertilizer, pesticides or other inputs can simply not be afforded and maximum return on investment should be realised.

This is not sales talk: laboratory trials conducted with SDHI-products have shown to have less than 50% control of early blight on potatoes even when application was done 2 days after inoculation. At this stage no symptoms have been shown yet. Preventative control of early blight on potatoes is therefore extremely important for effective control.

The question is then: how do you prevent unnecessary inputs but still manage diseases preventatively? Syngenta, as a leading crop protection business in South Africa, has recently added a service for potato producers, which warns growers of conditions conducive for disease development. The diseases included is early and late blight on potatoes.

Another challenge for (potato) farmers today is rising input costs. It is very true for potato farmers where production costs have increased tremendously over the last decade, with produce

The services combine data from weather forecasts and disease risk models to create warnings for certain weather stations or areas around a weather station.

48 | May - June 2022

Producers can register for the service on the Syngenta website where they can choose for which months they want to receive alerts, (as there is no reason to receive warnings when you don’t have a crop growing) for each weather station they want to receive alerts for. Alerts are then sent out on Mondays and Thursdays with a 5-day risk forecast. When no risk is expected for the next 5 days, no warning will be received. Alerts can be received via email or WhatsApp and also includes other information like spraying conditions, etc. For any queries your Syngenta distributor or sales manager can be contacted, or you can send an email to andre.labuschagne@syngenta.com

FEATURE

University graduates helping Zimbabwe farmers improve yields through use of drones

Anesu Mapidsa and Emmanuel Marume

wo university graduates in Zimbabwe Anesu Mapisa and Emmanuel Marume have partnered to form a company, FarmBuzz that assists farmers improve their yield using drone equipment. The two graduated in 2018 at the Midlands State University in Zimbabwe with Bachelor of Science in Agronomy degrees.

yield, which can sustain the family and the farm.”

Mapisa started a discussion with Marume on the idea of partnering as entrepreneurs and the latter agreed.

The new “cellphone farmers” were spending a lot of time and money on manually spraying pesticides and herbicides, without getting better results than they were paying for. Mapisa and Marume turned to social media platforms to teach farmers about the efficiency in farming and to seek customers.

“Even though we did not have the capital to plunge into business, this was a dream come true; first, we needed to figure out how to help the farmers increase their yields,” Mapisa said.

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With a growing trend in Zimbabwe where the young in urban areas are migrating to rural areas to farm, Mapisa and Marume recognised many of the new young farmers were encountering losses and needed knowledge and hands-on people on their farms.

“I was raised on a farm in Macheke. So, my parents were farming at a low level, and it was not producing much,” he said.

“We worked on the company from scratch, without capital, without anything; we just started doing consultancy on Instagram and Facebook and grew from there,” Mapisa (22) said.

“I wanted to bring solutions to subsistence farmers, including my parents, so they can improve their

Most of their work is on farm management, season budgeting, and consultancy services.

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May - June 2022 | 49

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“We promote smart farming in Zimbabwe through best agronomy practices and agrotechnology. We realised there was a need for a solution that would bring efficiency and precision in how our farmers weed. So we introduced drones as part of our services.”

“When using drones, there is no fuel used compared to boom sprayers. With tractors, which pull the boom spray, there should be diesel. I believe this has a positive bearing on the environment; we need to reduce emissions in agriculture,” Mapisa explained.

They later sought collaborations to raise capital and their first engagement was with Alley Capital Group, a local company that had just entered the Zimbabwean market with drone technology.

The company also uses drones for farm mapping and scouting, helping farmers know the exact size of their fields for proper planning and resource use.

After negotiations, a partnership inked in 2019, and Farm Buzz introduced drones to the agriculture market.

“My father, for instance, who has been farming for 20 years, uses the old methods such as knapsacks and boom sprayers because these have served him well over the years,” Mapisa said.

“Many farmers are losing money, using other traditional methods like knapsack sprayers and boom sprayers, which are costly and inefficient,” Marume added. “They are losing a lot of chemicals through these methods. Knapsacks are heavy, and you need more workforce. For example, one person can spray one hectare a day, using a knapsack, but with a drone, one hectare can be done in 15 to 30 minutes,” he said.

50 | May - June 2022

One of the beneficiaries of the project Louise Musungwa, farms in Nyabira, some 25 kilometers from Harare. Musungwa ventured into farming after retiring from nursing five years ago. “I was born on a farm; my father had a farm in Masvingo, but I never liked farming. After school,

I went and did nursing, and I worked as a nurse, mostly abroad, until I retired and returned home,” she said. “I decided to revisit my youth where I was forced to do farming. So, I started farming. I have been farming for five years, and because I didn’t have the land, I just rent from those who have unutilised land.” After embracing drone technology to farm, she is seeing better returns from her 10 hectares. Previously, it would take her workers weeks to clear weed, forcing her to commute from the city daily. “I was using people, and they were cheating me: most of them were just not serious, they were interested in money, not the yield and health of crops,” Musungwa recalled. Musungwa also used a tractor to spray but was not happy with the outcome. “I like to be on the ground, ensuring that things are being done by the book, instructing where I can,” she explained. “With drones, I can sacrifice a day and know that I am done with an activity,” Musungwa said.

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